Seal my Soul as Well
by Rutoh-Chan
Summary: Credited to Sesshomaru828 for her idea.  Kagome feels discontent and leaves her group.  After problems at home, she cannot go back, and soon finds herself in the world of Edward and Alphose Elric.
1. Chapter 1

I would like to thank sesshromaru828 for the idea for this story. They requested a Fullmetal Alchemist/ Inuyasha crossover, and seeing as they were the only one who bothered to review me I am happy to oblige. I would like to apologize to you sesshromaru828 for not posting sooner. I have never tried a crossover like this, so forgive my lousy ideas. It will work itself out… I hope.

Ru-Chan: New story. Hope it turns out okay. First chapter, couldn't wait to post it. As always, please review.

Bob: Another story, woot.

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Kagome toyed lazily with the grass beneath her fingers, gazing at the blue sky above her. She loved this quiet time by herself, alone, not with the others. She did not care if the others had no idea where she was, they needed to know she could take care of herself every once in a while. As she played with the grass she imagined a place where she could be who she wanted, where Kikyou and Inuyasha were not constantly eyeing each other with Sango and Miroku shamelessly flirting beside them. She wanted a place for her, a person for her, a passion for her, and sometimes she even wanted her own power. She hated being known as Kikyou's reincarnation wielding the same bow and arrow being defended by the same sword that belonged to the same man they both loved.

At least, Kagome thought she loved Inuyasha. But sometimes she would dream of a warmer place, a kinder person who loved her for being Kagome, not someone else. She still remembered the first time Inuyasha had tried to kiss her. They had just started their journey together, and the look in his eyes then still bothered her, especially when she saw it was the same one he gave whenever he looked at Kikyou. He had wanted the other girl from the beginning, and no matter how many times he came to her rescue, he did not love Kagome, not the same way. Kagome was okay with this, but it made her angry when she had to be protected by him all the time. She had not felt like that at first, but now she did, and she was lost.

It took some time for the others to find her. Each of them took their turn berating and scolding her, telling her she needed to stay with the group. Normally, she would have mumbled an apology and moved on, but today she felt something stir in her, a feeling of no longer being weak.

"Are you paying attention Kagome, you could have gotten hurt and no one would have been around to help you. Why are you acting so stupid lately? The least you could say is 'sorry for worrying you,' yeesh." Inuyasha paused to leave her room to say she was sorry, but was surprised when she spoke.

"Just shut up and leave me alone. You don't really care anyway, so why didn't you just leave me behind. If I'm so stupid then what's the point of keeping me around. Why should I stay and listen to your garbage. You know what, I'm out of here."

And with that she turned and left. It was easier than she expected to leave them behind, partly because they were too stunned to stop her and partly because she was too angry to think about what would happen later. Minutes passed before any of them even thought to after her, and by that time, she was long gone.

* * *

Kagome ran as soon as she reached the cover of the woods. She had no idea how long she ran or how far, only that it was long past sunset when she finally stopped, gasping for breath by a lake. She rested her hand against a tree for support and closed her eyes. It was then that she realized the weight of what she had done, and everything came down on top of her. She could not go back, she did not know the way. But she did not want to wait for them to come find her, because she did not know where they were, nor did she want their protection anymore.

A sadness and emptiness filled her which until then she had been able to ignore. It felt overwhelming, seeing to consume her. She knew that she could not stay in the world she had found so long ago, but she could not go home any longer either. Her former friends did not know why she had chosen to stay with them when the jewel had been completed, and she wished to forget it. It was still too painful, too fresh, but there was no longer anything to distract her, and suddenly her world came crashing down around her. She was alone. She had no weapons, and had only managed to bring a little food and clothing in her bag. Stuffing her hands in to the pockets of the jeans she wore now she felt a smooth stone there. It startled her out of her misery. She had forgotten that she had taken the jewel earlier that day as a joke. Pulling it out of pocket she noticed how it glowed softly in her hands, giving her a feeling of peace.

Seeing that there was no way out of what she had done she sought shelter and found it in the back of a cave not to far away. It started to rain after she brought in the last of her firewood. She built a small fire and curled up next to it. She was cold, and realized that there would be no one there for her in the morning to laugh with her or tease her, the latter of which was more likely. She cried then, silently, but ceaselessly, letting the tears flow. She did not cry for those she left behind, rather for those she did not know. She did not miss what she left, not really, but she wanted more than she had now. Running away had just helped her to see the misery that she had made her life. Still crying, she soon fell into a deep sleep with the thought drifting lazily over her mind if she would even be alive in the morning.

* * *

Ed sat on a hill overlooking his hometown of Risenbul. The wind played with his hair and shifted the grass around him giving a peaceful feeling to the setting. But though the area around radiated goodness and happiness, Edward Elric was uneasy. He shifted his gaze from below toward the sky. Something was not right. He had no idea what made him feel so upset, but his heart screamed danger for someone he cared about. The thought made him shudder, especially since everyone he cared about was beneath him, at least, everyone who needed his protection. Anyone else that he had the slightest regard for could take care of themselves. So he was very worried that something felt out of place. That danger had come to Risenbul made him quiver on the hillside, even though the wind blew warm and comforting.

"Brother, are you alright."

Ed turned to see his brother Alphonse, called Al, walking towards him. It was a wonder that he had not heard his bother before hand, stomping up the hill as a suite of armor. But he had been distracted, and used it as an excuse for his own troubled mind.

"I'm fine Al. What are you doing out here."

"Looking for you. Whenever you disappear you get in trouble and I have to come to save you."

Ed laughed and shook his head in dismissal. Gazing back up at the sky he felt that tugging at his heart again.

"Al, is everything okay down there."

"I think so. Why, what's wrong. Is something bothering you."

Ed shook his head again. He did not want to worry Al, especially since they had just gotten out of a big mess. He just wanted to relax for a little while, which was why he had asked Colonel Mustang for a break. He needed time to think right now. Before all of his choices had been rushed, necessity of hurried action pushing aside all room for moral contemplation. He needed time mist of all to decide what side he would be on. That would be the hardest, he wanted to find the Philosophers Stone, but he was not sure his current tactics were the ones that he would be most comfortable with in the end. He did not even know if he could keep any of his promises anymore. He sighed heavily looking to the sky, the feeling of danger sinking into his heart to keep company with his feelings of failure.

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Ru: I sure hope you liked it. I need some ideas, like pairings, so suggestions are welcome. Any ideas at all would help. review policy is the same as my toehr story. No update until I have one review.

Joe: Thanks for your patience.


	2. Pain

Ru-Chan: Sorry it took so long to update. It will probably be a while before I put the next one up to. I'm not as far ahead in chapters as I was in Nii- Chan and the ideas are coming a little more slowly. I have two stories now though and not as much free time. Darn it all. Still, I will work hard to update quickly. But I'm out of chapters for my other story too, so it may be a while. Enough of my rant, read the chapter.

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Kagome woke the next morning surprised to be alive. With her luck lately she had thought that for sure she would be dead now. Everything else in her life was dead, so why could she not die too. Miserably, she got up and found something to eat in her bag then walked out of the cave. Breathing in the air filled her with hope. The rain had stopped only a few minutes before, leaving the ground fresh and clean and giving the air a scent that brought comfort and peace to her. She started walking, then jogging, trying once from to find that empty state of mind she had yesterday where decision did not matter, the future was not a concern. The only thing that mattered was the now, the here, she wanted that feeling back. Then she could just keep going and not regret anymore. The rain made it seem possible to put it all behind her and keep going on, to find a new life and a new peace, a new love. The last thought startled her into a run, she needed to forget, even if it meant locking it all away and never finding happiness with anyone else. Even if she had to forget her heart so that it would never break again, she would.

But that prospect was not as appealing as finding a new life of happiness, so she ran faster, trying to leave all the bad ideas behind her. It was hard, but soon she decided that it would be alright, and she slowed down, stopping for lunch by a river. She noticed on the other side that there was a road, so when she had finished eating she followed the river downstream. Eventually she found a bridge and crossed it, then took to the road. She knew that she needed to travel more carefully than she had been, and a road would lead to people, some of them might help her, or at least advise her on where she should go. She had no idea what to do anymore.

The road was long and empty and worse, it did not seem to lead to any village. But she could not turn around, something called her on. She walked for hours, which turned into days, never tiring, but never able to stop. Time seemed to distort around her, until she had walk for years without aging a single day. And yet she kept on walking. Never stopping, and wondering eventually what she had left behind. Memories lingered for moments on gold eyes and silver hair and an unending loneliness, but the images were unclear and meant nothing to her anymore. Finally she saw a change. The road branched off in three directions. One path appeared like the one behind her, a second was paved in asphalt, but the third stood out to her. It was cobbled and well worn by feet and horses. It called to her, silently urging her toward it. For the briefest moment she considered that path, then turned down the one that was like the one she had been following. Though a longing filled her heart with anguish and a burning fire of rage suffocated her in agony, her soul spoke softly to her, whispering that it was not yet time, no matter the pain.

Ed watched the sky turn from pink-orange to a brilliant blue. He sat on the hilltop again, watching and wondering at the danger he felt in his heart. The day passed before him slowly, but he did not mind. Watching contented him and helped him be distracted from his worry. Around midday a sudden hope filled him, from where he could not say, but it soon left him once more to linger in his worry and discontent. He survived the rest of the day, but while he climbed down the hill to head home he felt a rising inside of him, a feeling that something big, something special was about to occur. He only hoped that everything that would happen would not affect those around him.

Kagome woke up to find herself on the ground by the start of the path she had taken. She remembered little except for her won name and where she had come from. She knew she had come to this place through a well and that she somehow went back in time through that well, but she did not understand why she would have left her home before the incident that caused her to want to stay here. She was slightly confused, but got up and looked around her deciding that the road behind her was too dangerous to go on again just yet. She started walking back the way she had come. Soon she found a village and after trading some worthless items she had was able to re-supply for the journey ahead. For some reason, her feet knew where to carry her, and over the next few days she followed random paths throughout the land. Passing through forests and fields she found nothing to calm the sudden rush that had taken over her. Running became frequent, though it often tired her, but she would still persist and move on. Nothing stopped her, and she learned how to become invisible at will. Hiding became second nature to her, though she did not feel the need to hide much longer.

Eventually, she found herself at the mouth of another cave. It was much larger than the last one she had known herself to have slept in, and seemed to glow from the inside to the out. She walked inside expecting everything and anything to happen. What she saw stunned her.

Along the walls were rows and rows of brought glowing crystals illuminating a cavern that was almost as large as her school had been. In the center was a sword and standing above the sword was a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a huge wolf with a silver white coat and bright silver eyes. It stood over the sword, staring unblinkingly at her swishing its tail back and forth.

Then suddenly it rose, shifting form onto two feet and stood before her as a man. The silver eyes and silver hair remained on the tall man that stood before her clothed in silver armor a bright sword in his own hand.

Without even thinking, Kagome knew she had to fight him. She settled into a crouch subconsciously and started pacing around the room. The man followed her movements perfectly. This was going to be hard …

Ed woke the next morning with an ache in his side and a pounding head. Trying to sit up he found that he could not, and trying to do so made his eyes go dark and his conscious go blank. He decided quickly against calling for help, it hurt too much to move his jaw. He lay in his bed for a long time before Winry (sp) came in to wake him.

"Edward, lazy, get up and greet the day. I know you can hear me. Up up up!"

She shook his shoulder at which he yelled from pain sitting up, then fell backwards onto the bed in a faint. When he came too in the next few seconds he hear Winry yelling for her grandmother and for Al to come and see what was wrong.

After much deliberation it was hard to decide what to do. After all that had happened, and after an examination in which Ed struggled to speak while not moving so much to feel shooting pains through his jaw it was decided that he was a phenomena to be examined and in the meantime it would be good if he did not move. There was no apparent injury to any part of him that seemed to be in pain, but none the less, he reacted perfectly to any test of whether or not it really hurt. Sitting in a bed all day was not Ed's idea of fun. But he had to admit, the pain was much less when he did not move. Eventually he closed his eyes and tried to sleep the hurt off.

Kagome lay on the floor of the cave. Clutching the sword in her one hand she tried to open her eyes, but found it much too painful. She had defeated the man, who was now sitting beside her in wolf form watching her. She had managed to evade all of his attacks with the sword except for the one that had reached her side. But even without the sword he had managed to beat her down before her stroke of luck. She was sure that her jaw was a purple mass, she knew she could not move it, it was so badly swollen. Her shoulder was a mass of hurt and her hand was scraped from where she had tried to hit him. He had managed to connect his hilt with her temple and now she was sure that she had a concussion on top of everything else. But she had won, she had her weapon. Now she could travel back down the path. But first, she needed to rest…

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Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. If you have any ideas of what to do tell me. I may not have room for them but I will try to incorporate what I get.

Bob: Thanks, and review please.


	3. Paths of Significance

Ru-Chan: Hope you like this chapter. I delayed writing the other story to finish this chapter. I will be posting for it next, so be patient if this one does not update for a little while. I just had this sudden burst of ideas and had to get them down fo this story. Its turning out better than I thought better than I thought.

* * *

A pair of bright amber eyes looked down at her from what seemed to be far above. They were in a face with a cold apathy carved upon it after years of practice in looking with disdainful disgust while not showing any feeling at all. It was a face framed by long sliver hair that danced slowly in the slight breeze. Kagome blinked twice. She could have sworn she knew that face

Sesshomaru was slightly bemused to see the weak human that had been tailing his brother laying on the ground covered in an assortment of bruises and holding a sword in her right hand. She blinked at seeming him, as if wondering if she had met him before and seeming to ponder whether to stand and run or shove the sword in her hand up first and then run while wiping the blade clean of any evidence. On thing was sure to his mind, she could not remember him.

He thought that it might be due to the large lump on the side of her head where it would be likely to forget things if one should develop a lump of any size on that part of the head. But it did not matter. Rin had said to stay and watch so stay he would. The little girl was now interrogating the recently awakened human girl. She pestered her with dozens of questions about where she as from and if she would like to make Jaken pretty.

It was strange to see a young girl with a demon whose face was so empty of any love that a child as young as she would need, but Kagome did not stop to ponder it. Rather, she stood, smiled sweetly at the girl and announced to the bubbling bit of energy that it was time for her to leave and find her path again.

"What path?"

It had been the tall demon who asked her. She looked at him puzzledly (yeah, this is my word). Why did he care?

"What's our name?"

"First tell me where you're going."

"Mommy said I shouldn't talk to strangers, so what's your name?"

"Do you really need to know?"

Silence followed his question and he saw the determined look in her eyes. Suddenly he decided that if he wanted to know he would have to chase her down and so she turned to leave.

"My name is Sesshomaru."

He said it not quietly, but not loudly either. She seemed to hear anyway. She turned around and smiled at him in a wry patronizing way.

"My name is Kagome, though I suppose that means nothing to you. Though if it does I would not like to know. Doesn't do me any good. I won't be here very long anyway, least I hope not."

"Where are you going?"

"No idea. Couldn't care less really. Not important since I don't really know where I am. I'm just going with it for now."

"Right, well then sorry for bothering you. We'll be going now."

And so the demon left the girl who turned and ran back the way she came, moving faster and faster, not caring about what she did not know or who she had just met. It would be nice to meet him and the girl Rin again sometime, but now she must find her path.

* * *

It is ironic how close she had been to her past, thought Sesshomaru. He had left Rin behind a safe distance away while he went to confront his brother. It would be marvelous fun to show up suddenly, the stench of the human girl all around him. He walked through a clearing to "stumble" upon the camp of his half brother and friends sleeping. The half blood awoke with a start to the stench of the demon.

"Sesshomaru." He growled deep in his throat. "What so you want?"

And then he smelt it, as Sesshomaru knew he would. The look of utmost surprise drifted over his face and Sesshomaru's mouth twitched upward in the wry way of saying _I know something you don't know_. He snarled and charged. Funny, he did not even ask whether or not the demon had actually done anything, he just charged. It made Sesshomaru wonder if he had missed something. Perhaps the girl had meant more to his half brother then he had thought, or maybe she had been missing for a very long time. It did not matter. He had been waiting for this excuse for ages. His brother striking first with no remorse. That was more than an excuse to kill. He saw the others waking behind the half breed. Inuyasha yelled to them his suspicions then charged the demon again. It would be a glorious battle.

* * *

Ed woke up the next day bleary and drowsy but otherwise feeling fine. There was a dull ache where there had been searing pain the day before and where there had been bruising there was now no pain at all. He was however, starving. Getting changed into another one of his pairs of black pants and another black shirt of his he thought about what he would like for breakfast. Heading to the kitchen he found Winry making breakfast.

"Morning Ed, are you feeling okay? What would you like for breakfast?"

"Just toast actually. I wanted to head out for fresh fruit, but I don't think I can make it without a little food first."

"Isn't fruit a bit, well extravagant for breakfast. I can make you some eggs or something."

"Nah, I feel like fruit."

"But the store isn't open yet. You won't be able eat for, well, a few more hours."

"Oh ye of little faith, I have my ways."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Just trust me to be on the right side of the law."

"Why?"

Ed laughed at that. Why indeed. After all, he had been in trouble a great deal lately, but what he knew, and what he controlled that told him more was getting to be a real bother. After eating his toast he went and found Al, inviting his brother to watch him get fruit. His brother followed in delight. Ed had not done this in years.

They reached a secluded spot were it would not be hard to cover up their tracks. Ed spread his hands out over the ground in front of him and thought of the three pieces of fruit he would like the most right then. Slowly the ground broke and the process of years was turned into minutes as Ed grew three fruit trees and brought them to harvest time. Then he picked the fruit and ate it relishing in its sweetness. His brother watched him intently, smiling to himself (okay. Come on, he had feelings even if he is a suit of armor). His brother had tried to put away his powers ever since they had failed to bring their mother back. He said he should have known better, should have remembered that he and Al were different in the last power. But he had forgotten and named his powers a curse. It was good to see him using them again. He had always taken comfort in being able to provide their needs. He liked using his powers as well, they made him feel whole and complete. Without them it was like part of him had died.

When he had finished eating he reversed the process and smoothed the earth. Then they headed back.

* * *

Sesshomaru was pleased with himself. He had gotten rid of his half brother and the worthless company he kept and did in enough time to follow the trail of Kagome. Rather than waste time walking for the little girl, Sesshomaru carried Rin. He followed the girl for several days, wondering where she could be going. Jaken followed, falling ever further behind. He was surprised when he almost stumbled into the girl one day. She had stopped running and was now walking again. She crossed a river and started down a path on the other side. Sesshomaru followed. She turned at one point, after several hours of walking and looked at him. But she turned back around again and walked on. Sesshomaru put Rin down and let her walk beside him.

Jaken was just starting on the path when that happened. He could see his lord far off in the distance for a little while, but suddenly the demon disappeared from view. Jaken sped up, wondering if Sesshomaru had started to run. Soon the little demon saw that the path ended by a turn in the river. Where could his master have gone?

Endless time seemed to pass, but none of the three had any urges to stop. Days and years went by before them and they did not change. Rin did not fear because Sesshomaru was not afraid and she could trust him to take care of her. Sesshomaru was not scared because Kagome seemed okay with everything that was happening and he was sure she had been there before. He noticed that she had stopped at three forks in the road. Then tentatively she made toward the path of paved stone.

"Why do you let me follow you?"

"Can you say which path is best?"

"The middle one calls to you."

"How can you tell?"

"Because I see you want to take it, and because it calls to me."

The three of them walked on.

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Ru-Chan: Yay, I think I'm getting better at this story. Review please! And my thanks to all of you who have reviewed already. I feel special.

Joe: Next chapter as soon as the other story is updated (+ time to write chap. 4)


	4. Paths Crossing

Ru-Chan: crying I'M SO SORRY!end cryingIt's been taking me forever to get either chapter updated, and I feel miserable, like a failure. I am grateful to those of you who are patient with me. I will try to go faster, but I will be updating Nii-Chan next, so I beg more patience from you.

Joe: Sorry for the delay. R&R.

* * *

The path went on for a while, then turned into a dirt road. The scenery changed and soon the trees were gone replaced by hills and over the crest of one of these hills was a town. People walked and bustled about thinking only of their small lives and what needed to be done that day. Nothing tainted had reached here yet. Several small figures could be seen running from the town. Kagome and the other two sped up subconsciously.

* * *

Ed had been irate the entire week since his incident. Nothing seemed to be quite right and he found himself going off to practice his powers more often. Just the day before he had gotten an anonymous letter that truly worried him.

_She's coming, and I wonder, which of us will get to her first?_

No name, nothing but that sentence on a small piece of paper that a bird had brought him. He sighed and then he felt it. A slight stir in his being. Two stirs, one shouted happiness while the other roared danger and unrest. The road from the village, now.

He had no idea where these thoughts came from only that they were quick, real, and urgent. He had no time to think. Jumping from where he had been sitting at the kitchen table he bolted form the room. He thought he heard the calling of Winry and Al behind him, but that did not matter right now. Something was wrong and he was about to get answers. "_Which of us will get to her first?_" Ed did not want to find out the hard way what was going on.

Three people were coming up the road to the village and behind them, there was a shadow, the shadow of the tall one. Danger. Ed fell forward into his own shadow readying for an ambush. He had to know.

* * *

One of the figures in the distance had disappeared, the other two were slowing, the taller one grabbing the other and pointing at Kagome and her… companions. She shook her head and a roar sounded behind her.

Out of Sesshomaru's shadow came two things, one was a boy, only a little older than she (work with me here), and a man dressed in all black and with a strange symbol on his forehead. She watched as the boy and man separated and faced each other. She had no time to figure out what the boy was doing, she had known the man had been there, but she could take care of herself. She drew her sword and ran the man through before either could react. Then she wiped the blade on the man's back and put it back in its sheath on her belt. She glared at the boy.

"I didn't need your help."

"Well, sorry, I thought-"

"Well you thought wrong." She snapped. This boy was so stupid.

"My name is Edward Elric and these people-," he indicated to Winry and Al who had just run up, "are my brother Alphonse and our friend Winry Rockbell."

"I'm Kagome, and this is Rin and Sesshomaru." She replied, still scowling.

"Would you like to come to our house for a drink?" Ed looked gratefully at his younger brother who had the ability to calm anyone down. So technically it was not their house, but Al had taken one look at the situation and decided that he needed to intervene. He could see the gratitude in Ed's eyes and it made him happy.

Kagome nodded slowly, still glaring at the older brother. The group followed. Everyone ignored the stares they got when they walked into town. All of them knew they were odd spectacles, omens of despair to come. Rin and Sesshomaru were the most out of place, but Kagome was covered in dried blood. Neither sign bode well in any that looked at them. The people wondered what the Elrics' had done this time to gather such a strange and dangerous group of people.

When they reached the house, Winry poured water for all of them, though Sesshomaru did not drink any. Light hearted discussion ensued, led mostly by Rin and Al. They were the energy and kindness the two groups needed to link. Their innocence out everyone at ease, and Kagome let her scowl drop to a gaze of indifference.

"So, what are you all doing here?" Winry asked at last. It seemed time to find this sort of thing out.

"We don't have any idea. We were walking and now we're here."

Kagome did not hesitate to answer nor was she ashamed, abashed, or hesitant to confess. It sent crawls up Winry's spine.

"Do you think that they could stay here, Winry?"

The girl looked at Ed with wide eyes and mouth agape. Had he just asked that.

"I thought I told you already, we don't need help. We don't intend to stay long… well I don't, these two I can't speak for."

"We'll be traveling with her." Now I was Kagome's turn to stare. Had this demon just volunteered to follow her? That was just too weird.

"I guess that settles it Ed. If you would like, you can stay the night. I'm sure we have room. But if you would like to leave, where will you be going?"

"Anywhere. We're not really sure."

"Have Ed take you around then. His job lets him travel all over, so he knows more about where to go than I do. Maybe he can help. He's also really in touch with the politics and laws outside here. We are really left to our own out here, but Ed and Al have been to the cities the most. And they need to get out again."

"But Winry, I'm on vacation. I don't need to be traveling, I wanna stay here." His face darkened. "I don't think I can go back to Central yet."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Everyone shifted a little, even the guests. Kagome's thoughts drifted back to beyond the well back to a blackened stub of tree and the smell of rotting flesh…

_No, not now! IT'S OVER THERE, OVER! THERE'S NOTHING LEFT… nothing left…_

Rin spoke up.

"Sesshomaru, can we stay. Just tonight. I wanna stay with Al and play." The demon nodded to the girl then looked at Kagome. She looked at Ed, then nodded slowly. A general happiness filled the room as the little girl dragged Al out the front door and asked him to show her where the flowers were so that she could make him pretty.

Winry convinced Ed and Kagome that they should at least look into where she would be going and so discussion ensued once more, only much more volatile than the previous conversation had been. Sesshomaru said little, but voiced an opinion against going into too large a city. He preferred open areas without people staring at him. He would look peculiar, even without his outfit and fluff. The other two decided to tell him to leave his things behind after they had a new outfit and thought that he would not kill them for even suggesting that he leave it behind.

After they had finished their discussion Winry managed to convince Kagome to grudgingly follow Ed to a place where they could buy some outfits for her and the demon. She managed to find several pairs of pants and some shirts in both her and the extremely tall demon's size. Skirts in general would be too much of a hassle. She also bought some shorts and one knee length skirt for any special occasion. It never hurt to be prepared. It did hurt to have to shop with Ed. He was quiet, but kept trying to be helpful, and Kagome could have killed him for it.

They got back to the house and found that Al and Rin had returned. Winry was working on dinner and Sesshomaru was walking around looking at he books and different tools that were littered all over the house. Winry was explaining the making and purpose of automail as the demon walked around and listened with the vaguest expressions of interest. Kagome sat down at the table and listened to the explanation while Ed went and sat with his brother and Rin who were playing with the flowers they had picked. He joined them smiling. Winry finished dinner and Kagome decided it was time that she told Sesshomaru about his new clothing. He actually took it fairly well, but said he had to keep his fur somewhere, it would be a terrible waste to get rid of it. Winry volunteered immediately to let him keep it at the house. He nodded, and when dinner was over he went and changed.

It was peculiar to see him in a pair of long black pants and a grey shirt, but the style seemed to suit him. A pair of black shoes finished the look nicely. Kagome then went and changed into one of her outfits. She chose to wear a pair of black pants and a pale blue shirt. She wore a pair of black boots, sturdy and comfortable, hidden mostly under her pants.

The overall change made her feel better. She never wore anything like this before back home. It made the transition feel complete. Finally, she could move on.

Everyone went to bed, Sesshomaru sleeping out in the front yard (the house was too confined for his tastes), and Kagome and Rin sharing the living room.

Something just felt right, Kagome decided as she drifted off to sleep, her dreams not plagued with a desperate hunt for the first time in months.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Does this chapter seem quick to you, and maybe a bit confusing. I'm sorry, I'm trying to maek this up as I go, and I'm working with limited reasources (ie. my brain). I don't have an editor that I trust to not ruin the whole point of the chapter, so I must cross my fingers and hope you will forgive me. I just want to post, so I kinda rush through it. Also, if I ever expand on a fight consider it a Birthday present. I hate writing fighting scenes, I suck at it. I see it, but I don't know how to write it. Sorry.

Bob: Review please.


	5. Parting Paths

Ru-Chan: Sorry it took so long for an update. I was running out of ideas. I hope this chapter is good. I'll be updating the other story next.

Bob: R&R. Enjoy.

* * *

They set off the next morning. It was a bright clear day and the sun shone like so many bright crystals collecting in one spot. Kagome looked up at the bright blue sky and smiled. It would rain today, and they would leave. She stretched and went inside to see Winry cooking breakfast. She ate and Ed came downstairs with Al. She ignored him but said good morning to Al. They sat down and Ed and Winry began to eat with her and Rin. Sesshomaru did not need to eat and he was looking again at the books and random objects around the house. Kagome noticed that Al was not eating either, and he was still wearing a suit of armor. She decided to investigate.

After breakfast she grabbed Al's arm and dragged him outside, asking about the other houses and their occupants. It was a lame excuse to grab his arm, but during breakfast she could no t think of anything better. She tried to feel for his soul state, a trick she had mastered in another time and place. It was innocent, but something was wrong. And he was too light, even for a suit of armor.

She was give a summary of all the neighbors and their trade and Kagome covered any strange questions by saying that she was wondering what people did for a living in this area. He laughed and brought her back inside. Winry had gathered some supplies for them and had given them the map, just in case. They had decided to head for the Ishbalen (sp) ruins since it was fairly out of the way, then head for Central to see more of the people.

They finally left after Rin gave Al one last hug and then they were off. It was nice to be on the road heading somewhere that did not involve other people. Kagome stretched and turned back towards the other two.

"What do you think we will see when we get there?"

She was answered by silence from Sesshomaru and the usual sounds of pondering from Rin, usually heard as a low "hmmmm".

Since neither seemed to have any idea she turned back around and kept walking. Something bothered her. She was not quite sure what it was, but the feeling of being in a group and traveling for no good reason seemed to bother her. The silence was terribly deep. It made her think, which was something she should not be doing right then. It meant that she had to remember things, and her memory was treacherous right now. She tried to focus on her surroundings instead.

* * *

Ed watched the group travel out of town and then he went back inside. He sat at the table for some time thinking and moping. Finally Winry came in and got sick of it.

"You are so lazy sometimes. Why aren't you doing anything? You said that you needed a break to get over things but all you do here is mope. You can't find anything to take your mind off of your problems. You need to go back to Central."

He looked up form the table and stared at her blankly, a glazed expression over his face. Some would have thought that meant he was not paying attention and was just now acknowledging that Winry was in the room and was talking to him. But she knew better. It was his 'don't make me think about it I'm not really better yet' look. It was his look of mental torture. He did not want to think about what she was making him think about.

But the truth was she was right. He needed to get back to work. There was no strength in hiding away. He nodded slowly, his face never changing. Unfortunately, Winry was not in a sympathetic mood. She was irate and angry that he could not get over it. He brushed it off with the excuse that she could not possibly understand, and it was true. It just did not take the pain away.

People who see darkness lose the ability to see the light. They know that the shadows are everywhere and there is no escape. They know that there are none with no darkness inside them, and they lose trust in the world. Ed had had one of those experiences and was taking time off to try and find what he had once thought was black and white. Life and death lost a place in morality when you fell into darkness. People were, and if they were in your way then you removed them. That was what humans felt deep down and there was no end to it.

And that was something Ed had had to face in the recent events of his life. He had to learn what the adrenaline of hatred could do to a person, and he had to act on it. It had hurt later, but he hoped that that had been a sign that he was still… clean in some way or another.

He eventually conceded to her pesterings and went to find Al. He told his brother that they were leaving the next day to head to Central. It was time to report back to Mustang and become once more, a dog of the military.

* * *

It was a week or so after they had left. Rin traveled quietly and rode piggy back on either person if she grew tired, so they were able to travel very quickly. They were just approaching the ruins of the city of Ishbal and as it loomed into view Kagome lost heart. It looked all too familiar. She pressed on, determined to see what was ahead.

As they drew even nearer they saw the devastation that had befallen the people. She could not understand why it had happened, but she was determined to find out, if only to conquer her own past.

"It's depressing, I think."

She turned to the demon behind her.

"Yes."

"Was there something here you wanted?"

"I need to find the building with the least of it left, little pieces of ash covered stone, the basement showing. That kind of thing." The demon nodded and left in search with Rin trailing behind him.

"Kagome."

"Yes."

"Be careful."

She blinked then smiled wryly and turned waving a hand and walked on.

She found it eventually. It was about the same size as her own home had been as well. She touched the stone, closed her eyes, and searched in herself. When the vision had ended it was all she could do to stop herself from crying. She kept hearing it, kept seeing it. The screams, the burning flesh. Then she heard other voices, not from this house.

"no, I'm stronger than this, stronger…" she collapsed on the ground and gasped quietly to herself, trying to push back memory. It had all been her fault.

* * *

Ed walked into the office and looked and Roy Mustang. The man was sitting at his desk as Riza Hawkeye, his right hand woman, shuffled through papers behind him. There were others in the office that Ed did not know, but he did not care. They were new civilian recruits for paperwork issues in a far off city.

The thought crossed his mind that he should care, if only because they would most likely be his next assignment, but he did not. He simply stood at attention. Al waited outside.

Mustang looked up.

"Ed, nice to see you've decided to come back to work. I've good news and bad news, which first."

"Bad." The response was automatic. Bad news first meant no time to react or guess at what it might be. Good news left traces of concern for the bad news to come.

"Well, I'm loaded with paper work and such and the only person who can do it is me."

"And…"

"That's the bad news."

Ed glared and let out a series of cures toward Mustang. He looked slightly bemused.

"Don't you want to know what the good news is Edward?" The cursings stopped. "The good news is there is nothing else to do. You can mope about where ever you wish as long as it is in the city as far as I'm concerned. Well, there are other things, its just that you don't need to worry about them. Dismissed. Stay in the city till further notice."

Ed nodded, turned, and walked out. Al asked him what happened.

"We're off for a while I guess. Might as well just see if we can memorize the city now is any case or something. I need to stay here. Maybe we could call Winry out here so that she could see the city for a while. We never got to hang here together."

Al nodded at his brother.

"And we might be able to find someplace where people don't visit so that you can still practice. You said it makes you stronger."

"Yes."

If Al could have, he would have smiled. It delighted him to hear his brother was still going to practice. Al could not in his current state, but watching Ed was worth it.

* * *

Kagome walked back to the others. Her eyes were dark and she hung her head. The others wondered, but did not say anything. Rin was worried, and Sesshomaru knew better than to ask then. She was trying to move beyond whatever it was she had seen.

"We're heading for central now. We'll camp later tonight when we've gotten plenty far away."

The others just followed her silently.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Gahhh, sorry it's so short. I'll try and make a longer one next time. Review please!


	6. Paths Reunited

Ru-Chan: Yay, I managed to update this one prety soon after my other one. I hope you all didn't mind waiting so long. My computer ate my other story chapter so I went boo hiss and waited before writing again. Well, here's chapter 6. Enjoy. R&R!

* * *

The hustle and bustle of the city was very different than the abandoned ruins of Ishbal. It had all sorts of transportation and buildings still standing. The people talked and laughed all over the place and headed in every which direction. It was almost like a less technologically advanced image of Kagome's old home. The thought made her shudder.

* * *

Sesshomaru was not happy about being in the city. He stood out in the crowd with his silver hair and pointed ears. And being a head or so taller than most of the people around him did not, in the slightest bit, help. It was hard to try and ignore the whispers all around him with his oversensitive ears, and being around a lot of people that were also talking in loud voices was somewhat overwhelming. It irritated him to no end.

* * *

Rin stayed close to Sesshomaru's side. She had never really been in a big city before and was having a hard time adjusting to the hustle and bustle of city life. She was jostled and pushed around no matter how close she stayed to the demon simply because people occupied a great deal of space. It made her nervous.

Kagome understood, unlike her companions, that they had arrived at the high point of the day. The crowds dispersed after some time and everything became a little bit quieter. There was more room to breath in and people kept to themselves more. Those that were left were the stragglers who had waited to beat the crowds and now had to beat the clock to get back to work on time. Sesshomaru and Rin seemed a little more comfortable with the present atmosphere and relaxed a bit more.

* * *

Ed walked with Winry and Al through the city streets. The lunch hour had just ended and they were browsing the still open but much less busy shops. People scuttled to and fro around them, but they ignored it. The noise of the city had never bothered Winry though she would always prefer the quiet outside towns. Al had adjusted as Ed had, but he preferred a place where he could see more and people were more honest, especially with themselves.

The quiet streets were pleasant and a gentle breeze stirred the stuffy air. Ed thought he saw the flash of silver a ways off, but thought nothing of it. Cheep merchandise most likely. It was on the right street for metal works too. Nothing special. Only any minute now-

"ED! Let's go see the tools again," Winry squealed. She dragged him down the streets.

Ever since they had arrived in the city, Winry had had her eyes set on a certain set of tools. She checked every day to see if they were still there and got all excited when they were. She always said she just might be able to get them the next day. Ed was tired of it.

* * *

Kagome tensed suddenly. A familiar presence was approaching at an almost alarming rate. Sesshomaru was sniffing the air tentatively as if checking to make sure he was smelling something right. Kagome rolled her eyes and cursed Fate for the chance of this actually happening. It was a big city, huge. The chances of running into them were slim to none.

BAM!

Winry crashed into Sesshomaru which sent Ed flying. He would have landed where Kagome had been if she had not moved at that moment. Quick as a flash Winry was up and looking in a window right next to them. She seemed to not have noticed that she had just knocked into some familiar people and had given Ed a bloody nose which could quite possibly be broken. He fished in his pockets fervently for a handkerchief.

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asked worriedly.

"Ag ding ag bogged mag nog." Ed replied as he searched his pockets furiously fo his handkerchief."

"What?"

"Mag nog. Ag ding ig boggen." Al coked his helmet slightly.

"His nose is broken." Kagome answered. "It tends to happen when you land on your face on concrete at 40.2 kph (25mph)."

Winry seemed to hear that part. Besides, the tools were still there.

"Ed, are you okay?"

"Eag."

"What?"

"He said yes. It was too long to be a no."

"Oh, Kagome. Fancy running into you here. The city's so large. Must have been a one in a million chance."

_Curse you Terry Pratchett_, Kagome thought fervently. _Stupid one in a million chance. I'll give you one in a million chance. One in a million chance I'll kill that kid. Geeze._

* * *

The thing that must be understood about one in a million chances are that if the chance is exactly one in a million there is no doubt that it will happen, according to the rules of Terry Prachett's Discworld. Some people make the mistake of assuming that something is a one in a million chance, and suffer the consequences. It is only a true one in a million chance if it ends up happening. Most people are to lazy to actually try and figure out the odds, so it is very hard to discern until afterwards the actuality of it, the chance being, one in a million.

Onward.

* * *

The look that Kagome was giving Ed made his blood run cold, which in the current situation was not to terrible. Cold blood meant it cooled faster and that meant it dried faster which meant that the bloody nose lasted only until a few moments after Ed had looked at Kagome. Then it just hurt. His nose was definitely broken.

Winry asked Al to help Ed up and they started toward a small apartment that Ed had elected to stay in while in Central. Suddenly Winry turned back.

"Kagome, have you gotten anywhere to stay yet?"

"No." came the begrudged reply.

"Iggny, nog. Paeagg, nog. Ag hugah Iggny, ag hugah."

"Then you should stay with us."

It took all of Kagome's will power to smile and say yes. In truth she would have rather died, but her companions needed the shelter and she did not want to try and find out how to get enough money. Free board would be highly favorable.

* * *

Walking a little was back from the others Kagome brooded and Sesshomaru walked to talk to her.

"You didn't have to do that. We would not have minded staying somewhere else."

"I know. But we need room and board and I don't have any money that could be used around here, do you. We got all of our provisions from what we knew about the environment and from the provisions they gave us. Besides, now Rin has a playmate and we have means to get around here without looking like complete idiots. I don't want to but we need this. And it gives me an easier chance at killing that kid if he bothers me." She smiled then and Sesshomaru found himself slightly nervous. There was something strange about her.

* * *

When Ed's face was cleaned up and everyone was sitting down to dinner the atmosphere calmed quite a bit. Ed sat as far from Kagome as he could with out sitting across from her and so he was no longer whimpering. She was concentrating on eating and trying to ignore him, so all went fairly well. Rin chattered with Al about all of the pretty flowers she had seen on the trip and about how the sun was just too hot in some places and someone needed to tell him to cool off a little. Al listened intently to the little girl in front of him and laughed with her throughout the course of the meal. Sesshomaru talked to Winry about the different tools that were in the set she wanted to buy and what their different uses were. At some points Kagome would look up in interest, but she never said anything.

The evening was coming to a close. There were three rooms in the apartment. It was elected that the boys would all share a room while Winry and Rin slept in another and Kagome got the last one to herself. No one was too keen on being in the same room as her at the moment. Her brooding after dinner had made her look rather ominous.

* * *

Kagome shut the door. As Rin had talked about the trip Kagome could not help but think about what had happened back then, when she had been weaker. She wanted to remember now, all that had transpired before and in between. She felt as though she was missing an important link.

She walked over to the window and opened it. The apartment was on the top level which made things considerably easier. Kagome scaled the wall and settled herself on the roof, fiddling with her sword which she had brought up with her. The moon was full that night and she basked in its glow. She sprawled out on the roof letting herself be rejuvenated by the light that fell down on her. She had never realized before how much she had loved the moon. Her fingers moved up and down the swords hilt, tracing all the curves on the intricate design.

The hilt was fairly simple in principle, but the work that would have had to have been done to make it was extraordinary. It seemed to be made of thousands of hair thin wires that wrapped in a basket weave that reached form the blade to the top of the hilt where they swirled together in almost a basin like shape. It might have been meant to hold a small jewel had it ever been completed. Inspiration stuck Kagome like a hammer. She fished in her pockets for the Shikon Jewel. Pulling it out she place it in a basin on the top of the sword, holding them both up in front of the moon. There was no flash of light, but some of the wires came together at in three braids and came in a triangle pattern over the top of the jewel. They then formed the image of a silver sheen rose (as in flower) over the jewel. In the light the jewel paled and soaked up the light of the moon. Soon it was a miniature image of its counterpart.

A wave of exhaustion swept over Kagome and she fainted on the rooftop.

* * *

It was the next day and Winry was rapping frustratedly on Kagome's door. She had been standing there for the past five minutes and was now starting to get frustrated. She called to the girl saying that she was coming in and when she got no answer opened the door.

The room inside was empty and the window was open. Not one to panic anymore Winry called out to Sesshomaru and the demon came followed by everyone else. He did not panic or even look concerned and stated that there would be blood on the floor if she had been kidnapped and it would not have been her blood.

He then strode to the window and leaned out sniffing. He turned around half outside the window and jumped up. There were footsteps heard above and the scrape of something, then Sesshomaru came down through the window again with a very irritated looking Kagome who happened to be carrying a sword. Ed ran.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. Will be updating NiiChan next. Coming up on the mystery of Kagome's past, why she left her first home.

Bob: Review please.

Joe: We feel that it is probably about time that Ru says that she does not own Inuyasha or Full Metal and so most of the characters are not her own, but the plot is. No stealing please!


	7. Paths of No Understanding

Ru-Chan: Hey, I'm back. Nice to see you all again. I lost track of which one needed an update so I will post this chapter now and if I remeber I will post the other one later today. If for some strange reason I happen to forget I will post on Monday for Nii Chan. Hope you like the chapter.

Bob: Please note that we are raising the rating from K+ to T because its going to get violent and is no longer really K+ material. The rating is for violence though depending on personal interpretation you could do so for romatic elements. Nothing big, nothing truely sugestive either. Just for the people who are a bit picky.

* * *

Kagome stood on a wayward street that seemed to lead to nowhere. Having spent the last few days under the hospitality of Ed, Al, and Winry she had taken advantage of the fright factor she had over Ed. She had gotten tired of the sport that came out of scaring Ed out of the room and had decided to go on a walk at. Strangely, at this time everyone else had decided that it would be a good time to go for a walk as well, so she had been forced to accompany them.

Now she walked down a familiar path, she had decided there was nothing else here worth seeing. It was no surprise when Sesshomaru followed her as well as Rin. It was some surprise though when Ed and the others decided to follow.

Kagome decided to say nothing and time went on. Winry was the only one who acted nervously to what was happening as nothing changed. When they had not left and Kagome had arrived at the fork in the road she finally turned and confronted them.

"You can take the last path back to where you came from. We're going the other way."

"We're following," The reply came form Ed much to her surprise.

"Ed, you have a job to do."

"Plenty of people have gone and disappeared mysteriously. I don't think we'll be coming back anyway, right."

"Then why are you coming in the first place. There is nothing for you on this side."

"Yeah, well there's nothing back on the other side either. Winry got her tools today anyway. My arm and leg will be fine for a while then."

At the quizzical looks he got from all of them he took off his glove on his left hand and took off the left sleeve of his jacket showing the automail that went up to his shoulder. Rin gasped, Sesshomaru blinked and Kagome had one of those looks on her face that said she had pretty much figured that.

"So, what about Al? He never takes off his armor."

Winry glanced at Ed while he glared at Kagome as if she had revealed something totally secret.

"Let's leave a bit of mystery between us since you are so reluctant to tell us about you."

"Fine, best way to stay a mystery is to part paths. Good-bye."

She turned to start walking down the dirt path and was irritated when she heard the footsteps coming towards her. Turning back around in a flash she glared at them and hissed.

"We don't need your help. Go home and play your stupid games and work for you stupid bosses and live your stupid lives. Just get away and leave us alone."

There was a silence which was broken very timidly by Rin.

"But then I can't play with Al-Chan."

Kagome's face softened at the girl and looked somewhat and look sorry.

"We have to go."

"But why can't they come too?"

To this Kagome had no answer and decide that she did not want to have this debate.

"Go where you want, all of you. But none of you can follow me."

She walked down the path and soon disappeared form view. The others followed later and Sesshomaru made no comment on their presence behind him. In his view it was not a big deal.

* * *

Kagome entered the other side a few hours ahead of the others. She set off in a random direction and hoped that it would take her somewhere away from it all. She was disappointed when she did not get far before the sun set, but she set up camp and waited out the rest of the night in frustration.

Part of this frustration was due to the fact that only a few hours after she had settled down for the evening who should show up but those she had tried to ditch earlier. They arrived in a quiet manner and did not say much as they set up camp next to her. Wanting to take full advantage of sleep Kagome had said nothing and went to bed fairly quickly. She slept soundly and woke as early as she could, trying to make as little noise as possible as she ate a quick breakfast. To her anger and astonishment the others woke and took the meal with her.

She traveled that day with the others coming along behind her. She sped up throughout the day trying to lose them, but they always stayed close behind her. Nothing was said throughout the day except for between Al and Rin laughing and playing along the way.

Night came and the group settled with Kagome in a clearing a little off the road they had chosen to take.

* * *

"You have no idea towards where you head, do you?" came the voice of Sesshomaru from across the campfire.

"I have no need to know where to I go. I have no place to return to which requires my presence. Why should I know a distinct path?"

"I wonder that is all, after what you have seen, would it not be a good idea to find a place to settle."

"Why would I need a place to stay? I have everything I need on the road. If you were thinking of settling down or anything, I wouldn't blame you. You seem to have something going for the blonde over there."

"What are you talking about?"

"Deny it all you want. You got something for in the automail chick."

To this Sesshomaru had no reply and Kagome sat back with the satisfied smile. It was lucky that all the others had fallen asleep. Otherwise it might have been a much more dangerous conversation.

* * *

Ed sat and listened to the discussion between Kagome and Sesshomaru. He had developed a talent of being able to seem asleep in order to listen to the most interesting conversations afterwards. This one bothered him.

It was not Winry and Sesshomaru being considered a couple. That was slightly strange, but he thought it would be even weirder if he and Winry or Al and Winry got together. What really bothered him was that Kagome had no home. She had been civilized in some regard, but that meant having a background and people to teach you. Even he had a place where he felt he could call home. Though he had burned his house in an attempt to rid himself of memory he still called that place home because he knew people there.

It did not make any sense and worse was that Sesshomaru seemed to understand better than even she did. He needed to know what was going on.

* * *

Kagome fell asleep at last and did so clinging to the sword she had recently changed and readopted. Her dreams were full of demons, loneliness, and a purpose yet unfulfilled. She woke partway through the night in a cold sweat, trembling and gasping in pain.

When she fell asleep again she dreamed of dead things come back in the most ghastly form of humanity that could even be considered as such, pain of loss and failure, and a home burning. It took all of her power to not scream as she awoke, but nothing would stop the tears for flowing down her face.

Hardly able to breathe she tried to confront her fears and calm herself, but the burning feeling of the flames would not leave her mind.

She had not even dreamed of then, but it drove her crazy just to see the fire again. It brought back the overwhelming feeling of terror and hatred. It left the scent of charred flesh and boiling bubbling blood in her nose and the sound of screams and shameless laughter echoing in her ears. It left the aftershock, the shame, the failure to consume what was left of her shattered soul.

Without a second thought she began packing as quietly as she could all that she had brought and then turned and left the camp.

* * *

A rustling of leaves woke Ed from his light slumber. Sesshomaru was actually asleep nearby. The demon rarely slept and his sleep tonight bothered Ed. Yet everyone else was asleep and the noise was moving away from camp. The other four people were in camp so nothing could possibly be wrong. He closed his eyes and made to back to sleep.

He jumped up and quite miraculously managed to not make nay noise in the process. There were only four others. She had left.

He jumped up onto the nearest branch and began following the whisperings on the wind and the urgent calls of the brush and grass.

* * *

Kagome felt his presence following her and sped up. She did not need to worry about noise at this point so could move as quickly as she wanted. A root she ould have sworn was not there a moment ago suddenly decided it was time for her to become very well acquainted with the ground. As she got up branches moved to hold her and the dirt under her feet softened and then solidified when she was shin deep in it. No matter how she struggled she could not move. Ed landed in front of her.

"You shouldn't run off like that you know. If you have problems you should talk about them."

A series of curses followed this with the general message that she did not need his help or the help of any other expletive expletive. He ignored her and asked again what the matter was. This was answered by a very pungent spittle on his face. A branch covered the responsible mouth while Ed wiped the offensive gesture form his face and onto the back of his sleeve.

The moon was no longer full, but still fairly large and as it had just broke from behind some trees and restrictive clouds Ed could now see the girl in front of him properly and saw almost to his horror and most certainly to his astonishment that she was crying tears of molten silver in streams and her eyes were no longer a complacent brown but silver also.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. Okay, just to make it clear about the romance part of the rating, I'm just ging to be describing kisses really, but some people would concider that to be T material just becuase that is who they are. I tyr and be all inclusive. And some nasty stuff is going to turn up with Kaogme, so yeah. Its going to be T now.

Joe: Review please! Any questions about the story or the rating, please do not be afraid to ask.


	8. Pain of the Chosen Path

Ru-Chan: Here's the next chapter. Have you been anxious? I'm sad 'casue I only got one review for the last chapter and I still haven't gotten a review for my other story. So now I can't update that one. Still, hope you like this chapter!

* * *

A dark feeling crept over Ed and he stepped back slowly. There was something not right in thosefuming eyes. They spewed anger and sadness in the same instant. It was horrifying and stunning at the same time.

The one thing he could pride himself on was that despite the desperate temptation to do so he never actually ran away. He even had the stupid courage to let her legs and mouth go despite his instincts clamoring against it.

* * *

Kagome fell to her knees and looked at the ground, refusing to respond to the gesture of something relating to trust. He stood there with her and watched. Eventually she spoke. 

"Well, entertained yet. Feel superior enough yet. It's great to be on top alright, having all the control isn't it."

There was no reply. She refused to look up at him. Nothing could make her do that. She did not want his pity.

"Well. Are you done yet? Haven't you had enough?"

No answer came to meet her ears. It was infuriating.

"What do you want me to do? Give you pity. I highly doubt that. You hate help, I seriously doubt that you want any kind of pity."

If his voice had contradicted anything that he had just said she would have kicked him hard and made sure that he did not get up again until he released her and possibly not have let him up after that either.

But he did not. And she was now finding it very hard to not look up at him.

"Then what do you want."

"I don't know."

This truly surprised her. She really did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry again. But she wanted to know and it did not seem that he would tell her anything if she did not look up and face him.

Maybe it hurt because she wanted to see why he had followed but did not want to be so weak, not to him. Why should he care? He did not seem to be into the competition as much as she was, but she still did not want to be weak, not like this.

Maybe it was all a part of being broken. You did not want others to see what made you so strange. You did not want to hurt anyone else the way you were hurting. Being broke is not something you wish even on your most desperate enemies.

Her head which was facing the ground was still held up in some manner. Now she let it hang and the drops fell to the ground in a continual stream. This was not how it was supposed to happen. It was supposed to be different. Nothing like this.

The scent of burned flesh still stung her nostrils. She was having a hard time breathing.

Silence surrounded her and made her shudder. Something felt wrong, and she could think of nothing that would make it right. She was not even sure if he was there anymore. He could have lefty her behind now. Why was she even trying to run away? She had no where to go. The best place to run would be to the arms of Death.

"I didn't start learning true alchemy until my mother died. I knew how to draw a circle and symbols and make little things for fun, but I didn't really understand the thing behind it. I found it was much more easy to things like this."

Kagome felt a slight tremor in the wind moving above her head and assumed he was talking about the branches around her arms.

"I used to do little things with my power. I didn't really understand it until one night I had a weird dream about this wolf guy and all of a sudden I knew where my powers came from. I even knew how to use them all. I could work with anything. Water, air, plants, earth, even shadows and death I could barely control. I learned how to move my self from shadow to shadow and create solid walls of air. I could grow my own little garden in a matter of minutes."

Kagome thought about all of this and wondered at it slightly. He had so many things under his control.

"I devoted myself to alchemy when my mother died because I knew that I didn't have the power to bring back a human being. Summonings had always been hard, and keeping people alive until they could support themselves was draining. I only had a little control over everything. So I studied alchemy to bring my mother back and Al did it with me."

He paused for a moment. He was not sure why he was telling her this. It seemed the right time was all. The right time to tell her.

"I might have been enough if I had only used my blood and I had been an anchor. The alchemy could have made a perfect human body out of just my blood. But Al didn't have the ability to move on the edge of Death like I did. He contaminated it, but that was my fault. He was to close to Death and could not control it so he was sucked in. My blood spared me."

He was talking to the ground now. Kagome could tell because it was easier to hear him.

"I never used my powers after that for years. I couldn't bear to think that they were the reason Al was as good as dead. I swore that I would give him his old body back, and so I set out to find the Philosophers Stone. I sealed his soul to the suit of armor by sacrificing my arm. My leg went to bringing our mother back. It didn't work, just created a monster and two half humans."

Kagome was silent. She felt like she owed some kind of response. It was just hard to think of what to say, especially since she could not remember most of what would be appropriate to tell him in return for the information about his past.

Ed let her arms go and they fell to her sides. He looked at her for a moment then turned to walk away, realized camp was the other way, turned back around and walked past Kagome.

As he did something grabbed his leg and he nearly tripped. He looked down to see her hand on his ankle. He thought he saw a twist of her lips upward and then found himself looking at dirt and eating some of it as well.

When he managed to get up she had stood and was walking away.

Nothing, she told her self, nothing would make her open up to him. She hated him, and she did not care if he had told her all about himself. She was not going to change just because he felt like being nice. She had tried to point out to him all along that she did not want help and yet he did not seem to be able to understand that. She hated his stupid kindness!

* * *

Ed reached out to her shadow and added the feeling of its presence to his memory. He could find her whenever there would be need, and he would also be able to know when she was in danger. He had a feeling that she had a knack for it.

* * *

Kagome shouldered her pack and adjusted her sword on her hip. She had the distinct feeling that she was going to want it close to her very soon. 

Soon happened to be five minutes away when she ran into the green frog demon that she had first seen with Sesshomaru. She might not have killed him if he had not yelled certain profanities at her while she was in a bad mood. The fact that he had brandished his stick threateningly at her as well just added to the justification of her leaving behind his corpse.

She was quite contently to leave another group of corpses behind when one of them drew a bow as if to shoot at her. The only to that she let escape were the cat and fox demon. They seemed to know to keep their distance and she had no objection to killing anyone that attacked her that night.

When she had gotten far enough away she considered the fact that they seemed to have known her and she vaguely remembered them, but it did not seem so important when the first had tried to shoot at her.

* * *

Ed managed to get back to camp before the others had woken and even managed to scrub some of the dirt off his face before he laid down with his face on the ground again so as not to look so suspicious. 

When Sesshomaru awoke there was the closest thing you could get to an uproar while you have a placidly fuming demon sitting less that two yards away from you. They spread out and looked for her for a bit, but decided against it after one of them found a dead frog demon a good ways off. It seemed like a better idea to have breakfast and give the girl even more time to calm down before they followed her trail.

Rin was in a slight shock after seeing Jaken dead and she was not as simple as some people would have thought so she understood quite well who had killed the little green demon.

The group decided to skip lunch when they discovered the second group right before they had planned to eat. Rin had to be carried and Winry had to be dragged off the scene and a good mile away before she could even speak.

"Why did she do that?"

"She had no need of them and chances are one of them struck out first. Likely the one with the box and priestess robes. Quite ironic. I do wish she would have left me the half breed though. I had been waiting."

"Beg pardon." That was Ed.

"I had been hoping to settle a score with him for quite some time."

"Who is he perchance?" that was Al.

"My brother, half brother actually."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Never really got along then did you?" Winry asked.

"No, it was mostly to do with the fact that he was half breed and I wouldn't let him live it down. He was the first one to strike out but we were interrupted before a decisive winner could be chosen."

Another awkward silence filled the woods to be interrupted by the blissful song of a bird. Ed felt a chill run down his spine. He had the distinct feeling that it was not due to present situation.

* * *

Kagome kept on walking and trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her heart. She tensed. 

Something was coming.

* * *

Ed felt tension on one of his connections and fell instantly into his own shadow. Al wondered at the emergency and Winry, Sesshomaru, and Rin looked on in surprise. 

A dark shadow jumped into her path and drew a blade.

A voice in Ed's head resonated. _Did you really think that we would let you win?

* * *

_

Ru-Chan:Hope you liked it. It's getting to the good part. I am sincerely hoping for more reviews on this one.

Joe: Please review. We need to know if you understand it.


	9. Paths Trodden Alone and Not So Alone

Ru-Chan: Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. An insite into the characters. A view of the past. R&R!

* * *

Ed emerged from Kagome's shadow and landed on the ground beside her. Another one of the strange beings was standing in front of her only this one was female. It smiled wickedly.

"I thought I told you I don't need any help," Kagome said drawing her sword and not even looking at him.

"Tough buggers there ain't it."

"Where did that ridiculous accent come from?"

"Spur of the moment," came the reply from a little bit further away. Both of them had jumped to avoid the first attack.

"I say that we stop this conversation till this is over."

"Agreed."

* * *

It was a fairly quick fight. The being had not expected to fight the two of them and soon Kagome was drawing her sword out of the back of the thing while Ed tried to push it off himself.

When he sat up he noticed a pain in his side where Kagome had been a bit careless in impaling the thing on top of him. No true surprise there though.

Kagome stretched out and winced as she leaned toward the left. She felt a sharp pain on her side that she had not noticed before. Looking down she saw no blood and after getting behind a tree to lift her shirt she saw no bruise either. Stepping back out from behind the tree she examined her… the only word she could come up with was companion.

He was bleeding from a wound in his right side, she guessed that was her fault, and he had bruises on his face and arms. A general ache suggested that she had much of the same. She sported bruised on her arms and one on her neck. But she was slightly disturbed by the ache on her right side.

* * *

Ed looked Kagome over. He noticed that her arms and neck were bruised and she seemed to be favoring her right side. Looking at himself he noticed dents in his auto mail that had definitely not been gathered by himself. She had not been hit on his arms at all. He also noticed pain on his left arm but no bruises. And he could not crane his neck. He was sure he had not been hit their either. Something was not right.

* * *

Winry, Sesshomaru, and Rin were all staring at Al who was feeling very uncomfortable.

"We're not stupid Alphonse Elric, now tell us what just happened."

Al winced under Winry's angry tone, or mentally winced as the case was. He did not have permission to talk about it, no permission at all. On the other hand, Winry had tools with her and that was dangerous for both him and Brother. He might have better survival chances if he talked.

"I don't know as much about it as Ed does. I just know that he can do things without using alchemy. All sorts of things. He does the best with normal elements like air, fire, and earth, and he's pretty good at working with plants too. He can travel through any shadow to reach any other one and he can learn shadow essences so that he knows were to find people and know if they are in danger, sometimes before they know. He can also play with the boundaries of Death. He can hold souls in bodies and bring animals back to life as long as they haven't been dead very long. That takes the most out of him and he can't move for a day or so after something like that. And he can't bring back humans. He can hold their souls for a little while but he can't bring them back, not to their bodies. Part of the reason he could save me was because he walked the edge of death several times. I'm not sure where he's gone right now, only it should be fairly important. He doesn't usually leave without an explanation."

This brief summary seemed to satisfy the group for the time being. Al took a metal deep breath and sighed.

* * *

Ed winced slightly as the bandage was pulled a little too tight to be comfortable. It was quite stunning that Kagome had decided to bandage him up, especially considering the fact that she had stabbed him intentionally in the first place.

He was even more surprised when the bandage was loosened slightly to a point of comfort. Something was not right, and it bothered him more than the whole beings from an unknown time and space coming after Kagome.

* * *

Kagome tied off the bandage and sat back on the dirt clutching her knees and staring at Ed. She did not understand why she had even considered helping him rather than yelling at him for his insolence but she understand that when she bandaged him she felt better and if the bandage was too tight she felt that too.

* * *

Ed was unnerved at her stare. It seemed to be trying to dissect him into little pieces so that she could understand better what made him tick without having any intentions of putting him back together again.

"Did you see the people that I killed yesterday when you came looking for me?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you come to help me. There is no great reason I shouldn't do that to you. I hate you, I'll always hate you. At least, that's my intention."

"I don't think I follow you on that last bit. But I came because I chose to. I don't like leaving people to die when there's something I can do about it. I just have a problem with it, that's all."

There was an uncomfortable silence following this. Ed wondered if he would end up looking like the corpses back a ways. He shifted slightly and winced. Kagome flinched.

Both decided that right then it would be a very good idea for them to look decidedly away from the other. They both flinched again from a pain in the neck. This was not good.

"I don't suppose you have a magical explanation for why we seem to suffer from the same injuries."

Ed decided that it was not a good idea to look at her as he responded.

"No."

"Do you think that if I killed you I would die or I would just be disconnected from you."

"Errrr……"

This was turning into a very dangerous conversation. He wanted to know what would be the safest way out. The more e thought about it he decided that there was going to be no right answer, not even silence. Best guess was to turn the question around.

"What do you think would happen?"

"I couldn't really care less. I was just wondering if I would even have to bother with aiming at myself or not."

"You have issues girl."

The look she gave him told him that what he had just said was not the right thingto say under circumstances.

"Really?"

"Ummm, you know, I don't think I'm all into the idea of testing the death hypothesis right now."

"That may be out of your hands."

Another awkward silence filled the clearing. Ed looked determinedly downward so as not to give her the satisfaction of seeing his face if she decided to kill him right then.

"Have you ever wondered what burning flesh smelt like?"

Ed almost looked up in surprise.

"Beg pardon?"

"I used to. And then I found out, the hard way. I wish I didn't know anymore. But I've learned something. You don't have to be afraid to kill things because sooner or later they will die. If they don't get in your way keep then alive to use later if only as play toys. If not, they are not necessary. You get rid of them."

"What are you afraid of?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Are you afraid of weakness?"

She glared at him. He could tell because he felt hot spots on the back or his neck where her eyes were boring down on him.

"Possibly."

"Why?"

"I cannot afford to be weak. I cannot afford to be left behind. If I do I will remember, and then I will regret. And then I will have no purpose."

"Do you have one now."

"No…"

"Then are you looking for one?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You mean it would be better if I were dead?" her voice cut like knives. Ed flinched, but kept his head determinedly down.

"No, I should think that you already have a purpose though."

"What are you talking about?"

"You guide people to destiny."

"What!"

"Sesshomaru and Winry for example. They were destined, but they wouldn't have met if you hadn't met him first and brought him to our world. And Al and Rin. Hey may not be a couple in the same way but they were meant to boost each other as each lost their own previous companions."

"But Al still has you."

"Yeah, but I don't know for how much longer that may be."

"What are you talking about?"

"I sort of have this feeling that I'm going to be able to change him back soon, but I think it will be the end for me. Al will need someone to comfort him in Winry's place, I think she will stay here and the rest of us will go back. I can't be sure, but Al needs someone when I'm gone. Rin's it. And if I change him back it may develop into a … deeper relationship."

"Oh, well, that makes sense."

The silence had a depth to it now and neither of them was sure that they could take the plunge and try to move a voice through the silence.

It soon became apparent that neither of them was going to say anything, and so Kagome stood up to leave. Both of them winced.

She walked away and did not look back. Ed lifted his head up and watched her go. He stared at the spot in the trees for while after she had disappeared, then he stood and walked after her. He did not know why, only that it was something he had to do.

* * *

Sesshomaru glared at the spot in the trees where Rin and Al had just disappeared. The truth was the two of them together alone was not what bothered him. What bothered him was that he was now entirely alone with the "automail chick" and had no obvious means of escape seeing as the only other persons who could protect her were not in the vicinity. That meant he had a duty to stay behind.

* * *

Winry looked the tall demon over. So he wore a scowl and was very quiet all the time. So he had wanted to kill his brother for the past who knows how many years. So he was an innumerable years older than her and would still most likely outlive her. That did not mean anything really. And he looked very fine with his silver hair being struck with moon or sunlight. Of course Winry would know. It was something she had looked for just in case. It looked quite a bit like polished automail actually. She had a hard time resisting to stroke it.

* * *

Sesshomaru looked over at the girl ad fidgeted. He never fidgeted, ever. But she made him antsy and twitchedy (note that this is not considered a word by Microsoft Word so I am doing my best with spelling. If anyone knows I would be grateful.) so he had a very hard time not fidgeting. He nearly jumped when she started walking towards him.

* * *

Ed walked as fast as he could given circumstances. He didn't really care if she could sense him, or if she ended up killing him. He needed to understand something.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, there's something I would like to talk to you about…"

_Oh no, please don't let her be thinking what I think she is. There is no way on earth I can say no…_

_

* * *

_

Ru-Chan: Don't feel like a big note today. Still may turn into one. Hope you liked the chapter. I enjoyed writing, and I have another chapter ready once I get 3 reviews. HA! THAT'S RIGHT, I UPED THE ANTY! HA HA HA! Okay, yeah. I am feeling dejected again. No post unitl 3 reviews. That means you reader! NO update until I get three, and the next chapter is super good, if I do say so myself.


	10. Paths of Painful Knowledge and Love

Ru-Chan: Wellll, it took a long time, butI finally got my third review for this chapter. Yay, now I get to update. I hope you all realize that I am serious now. I still need one more review for me to update Nii-Chan. Well, here's this chapter. Hopes you like it.

Joe:R&R, and someone please review Nii-Chan. It's just getting to the good part.

* * *

Kagome felt his approach, but she decided not tot think anything of it. There was nothing to think. She just had to keep moving and move faster than he did and it would all be okay. She did not have to tell him anything. Just because he had questions did not mean she would give answers.

* * *

Sesshomaru was considering for the time in his entire life running away and leaving someone of a particular value to him defenseless. And he would have run too. There was just one problem. She was looking him in the eye and he had no escape form that. The already small clearing seemed to shrink even more.

"The truth is that I … I think that I … I'm not sure how to say this but-"

Sesshomaru started trying to back away and nearly stumbled. He decided against that move.

* * *

She was getting closer

* * *

Ed tried to keep her pace but found that he was considerably winded from the fight. And she had no intention of slowing down. He could try and trap her again but that did not seem like the best way to go about things. So he would play her game and when he won maybe he could get a prize.

* * *

Being able to breath would be nice.

* * *

Sesshomaru was having a very hard time trying to remain calm. The truth was he wanted to shout out all of his feelings, but he did not think that Al and in had gone very far away and the entire shouting thing was a bit out of character.

Winry reached out and touched his hand.

"I think that I love you."

She looked up at him in surprise. She had thought to be given a stern but kind 'no I'm not interested but I think you for your kindness' kind of thing. She was having a hard time not noticing how very alone they were.

* * *

They were very close.

* * *

Ed noticed he was catching up. Perhaps she needed a rest as well. He pressed on determined.

* * *

Sesshomaru leaned down.

"You haven't given an answer yet."

"What do you think my answer is?"

* * *

He was getting even closer.

* * *

There was hardly any space between him and Kagome now. He just needed to clear the bushes –

* * *

Contact.

* * *

The feeling was very sweet and sensational. For a man who seemed never to have fallen in love before he was an extremely good kisser. Winry nearly fainted.

* * *

The world stood still.

* * *

The sword point at his neck was not in the least unexpected. He had just not thought that it would be now. He had hoped to get some answers first.

"Why do you think to keep following me? So you want your corpse left behind as well? I can do it you know. I'm not afraid of you."

"I just wanted answers."

"Answers, you wanted answers. Fine, I'll give you answers."

Ed knew better than to think they were the answers he wanted.

* * *

It was an almost not so strange taste on his mouth.

* * *

Sesshomaru was pleased with it in fact. He had never been this close to anyone before and he rather like the feeling, the warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

* * *

The feeling sent shivers up and down his spine.

* * *

Ed did not like to think that while he was laying on the ground eating dirt he was in danger. But the sensation of someone who did not care anymore standing above him with a sword did not give him 'happy thoughts'. He decided against sitting up, he was not sure where the sword point was.

"I haven't moved if you're scared to stand," said a voice from behind him. He lifted himself gingerly just in case.

When he turned around he was back in the dirt and his head was spinning. Funny thing was Kagome did not seem to be flinching at all.

"I guess that if its one of us hurting the other we don't have to feel connected, huh. Too bad for you."

Ed did not remember much after that except for pain.

* * *

It was everything and nothing.

* * *

The moment and the feeling made him understand as he never had before. His brother's feelings. Did not the saying go "like father, like son?" Yes, he understood.

* * *

Winry held on tightly to the front of Sesshomaru's shirt. They had pulled apart, but nothing could separate her from his arms. She leaned her head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart.

* * *

As one.

* * *

Their minds were suddenly connected and Ed could feeling the rage and fear that was inside of her. It nearly destroyed him. There was no way any one person could hold in that much pain on their own.

* * *

Kagome saw things that were not supposed to be. They were cruel, and some of them were accidents, but they furthered her belief that life was not to be taken seriously. There was not a single person out there who really cared. But none of them were hers

She let go and Ed fell to the ground. He could even remember being picked up. Slowly and blearily he stood up and managed to stumble backwards into a tree where he slumped down and tried to concentrate on the girl in front of him.

* * *

"So, you want answers do you?"

He looked at her and prayed that there would be no more pain.

"Yes, please." Why did he say that, the only answer he was supposed to get from her was another kick in the gut. Felling his side he noticed that his side was bleeding through the bandages.

She sighed in exasperation.

"Fine."

"What?"

"I said fine. You can want the answers. But I'm leaving."

Ed waited until she was at the edge of the clearing and then stood and walked after her. She ignored him. He did not know why, but at this point he was not even sure if he cared.

When he broke the trees a while later a short ways behind Kagome he saw why she had not bothered to stop him. A very large crevasse was in front of him and in his current condition there was no way that he was going to climb down that any time soon.

* * *

It was impossible.

* * *

They had come apart, but neither spoke and both were loath to stray to far from the other's side. There was nothing more wonderful than what they were feeling and neither was ready to give it up.

* * *

It was truly impossible.

* * *

But Ed was determined to do it. She was already at the bottom, being able to slide down parts of it because of her condition. Ed did not have that option. He turned and started to climb down the cliff.

A long time later he made it to the bottom of the canyon. He settled himself down for the night and soon fell asleep. His only comfort was as he fell asleep he saw that Kagome was only half way up the other side.

* * *

And then morning came.

* * *

For some reason Al and Rin had not come back till long after dinner time. By that time Winry and Sesshomaru were settled on opposite sides of the clearing and were conversing pleasantly. Al and Rin had given each other knowing looks.

And when they woke in the morning they did not move, but stayed as they were and talked about their lives, because, especially in Sesshomaru's case, there was a great deal to tell.

* * *

And morning went on going.

* * *

Ed was climbing as quickly as he could in the growing light. He had started out before dawn and was now halfway up the wall. He had healed in the night and his automail arm had repaired itself with the healing of its female counterpart. She could not have finished the climb until late and now that he was well he would be able to follow her better.

It was not even midday when he reached the top.

She had left, but not too long ago. He would be able to catch up.

* * *

Time passed, days in their own manner.

* * *

Sesshomaru and the others traveled their own path where they felt guided to go.

* * *

And more days.

* * *

Ed followed with diligence and was not surprised when he found the bodies of those unfortunate enough to try and brave the wrath of one who had nothing left to lose.

He hoped he would not be numbered among them.

* * *

He had nothing left to return for, so his best path was to move forward.

* * *

Al was not sure why he had left his brother. He knew that Ed was not dead. He could not say how. He just knew.

And Al moved forward. Things happened on his journey with his new found friends. None of them important enough to mark, except that one night he found himself guided in a dream to a place by his brother. When he woke in the morning he and Rin left the other two behind and were able to discover the secret to changing Al back. They never returned for their companions.

* * *

They did not need to look back.

* * *

Sesshomaru and Winry went on without their friends. Once, maybe twice in the rest of their lifetimes they ran into one another again. But nothing else of significance happened.

* * *

And so they ran on, each on their own paths, each in their on times.

* * *

Ed was right behind her now. In only a few steps he would catch up. He broke a clearing and saw her standing in front of a well.

She was just staring and she seemed to be oblivious to anything around her. He moved around to be behind her incase she looked up.

It was from this change of view he noticed something in the trees. A glint shimmered off what soon turned out to be the tip of an arrow. It _thunked_ into the ground where Kagome had been standing only moments before.

The clearing was empty but for a series of curses.

* * *

When Ed came to he saw that he was at the bottom of the well and Kagome was next to him curled up and crying. He looked up and saw nothing but the blue sky. It was what he smelled that sent shivers up and down his spine.

It was charred wood. And flesh.

He looked over at her one more time and climbed out of the well using a rope ladder that was on one side. What he saw turned him into a different person forever. He dropped back down to the girl below.

"No home, eh."

"Shut up!" she choked through her sobs. "You don't understand!"

"I doubt that I understand all the way. But I do understand loss, and pain, and weakness. I've had to learn the hard way that we can be innocent children all our lives or we can get what we want. We can strive for the middle, but if we shoot for a goal we have to be ready to face those who would stand in our path. They wouldn't be in our path if they were innocent little children."

"Do you really?"

"Yes."

"I didn't want this. I can't even remember why it happened. There's nothing left that tells me why. It just happened. I think something happened in the well that made me enemies. They came here and killed my family and burned my home and tied me back and made me watch the whole thing. I couldn't move. I was too weak. I'm not weak anymore. But I can't bring them back. That's why I tried to leave it all behind."

"And anyone who can find happiness with a family makes you sick now, right."

She nodded.

They were both quiet. In the backs of both of their minds they knew that he had nothing to return for either now. They needed to go back to where they had both belonged.

Kagome told him how to get back.

"I've already jumped back down in. I need you to take me back."

He brought her up and around so that she did not have to see and they went back together.

And they talked.

And talked.

And they came to accept the fact that they could understand each other at least. And they settled down for the night.

Neither thought about the arrow from earlier that day.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked it. The double lines were to show links, in a way. They were supposed to mean that the next sentence applied to either person. It was also so to show the contradiction of certain similar thoughts. Hope I didn't lose you.

Bob: Three reviews again people. The faster you review the faster she updates. Please R&R the other story too if you keep updated on it. We still need one more review!


	11. Price of the Path

Ru-Chan: Yaaaaayyyyyyy, people reviewed quickly! Uh oh, I is running out of pre made chapters. Next update may take a little while. I might stop my Nii-Chan writing until I have the enxt few chapters ready. Sniff, I wanna update my other story, sniff.

Bob: R&R please. Since we got such a great quick reaction we're uping the anty(sp). 5, yes my friends, 5 reviews for the next update! And please, if you read Nii-Chan, review that one. Then we can update!

* * *

A gentle breeze made her bangs dance across her face. Her hair curled around her slumbering form and she smiled gently in her dreams.

As Ed watched her he smiled to himself. He had found something out about her. True, her past was full of pain and suffering. But until he knew he could not help her. Now he could.

He looked away and gazed around the clearing. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He opened his mouth and rushing sound came out. Rustling from the trees told him that there was no one else nearby. He asked them if they felt anything but they told him no. He relaxed against the well and looked up at the sky.

Some clouds were moving in rolls of big fluffy whiteness. He looked back down at Kagome. She was still smiling gently and her breathing was slow and even. Her eyed lids fluttered every now and then, proving her to be on the edge of waking.

* * *

Kagome's dream was wonderful. She could see nothing, feel nothin with her hands, smell nothing, nor hear anything. It was not like any darkness she had ever been in before. But she was not afraid.

Her body felt warm all over. Her arms wrapped themselves around her waist in a self hug and she sighed contentedly. The feeling that was coursing through her veins was like nothing that she had ever felt before.

Her mind drifted time times when Inuyasha had held her, but none of those times, even when she had been infatuated with him, made her feel like this. Her mind was racing but it felt so god to be like this. If she could never feel anything again with her hands, if she could never see, never smell, never taste, she would not care. A smile graced her lips as she dipped herself deeper into this feeling.

Slowly the feeling faded, and she knew it was time to wake. But she also knew she would never fear her dreams again.

Kagome blinked and awoke. She turned over and saw that Ed was watching her. She sat up slowly glaring at him but he remained calm.

"Well, what do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I wasn't going to leave you without any protection. Besides, I only woke up a little while ago."

Kagome sighed and stood looking around. Suddenly she stopped.

"Where did the arrow go?"

* * *

Ed looked toward the spot where Kagome had stood the day before just before they had traveled through the well.

The arrow was gone.

"It maybe gone, but that just means that whatever was here left."

"How can you be sure?"

"I already asked the trees. They don't have anything on them and they don't feel anything wrong nearby."

"Wrong?"

"I don't think that what's chasing you is human. Is something wrong?"

At 'not human' Kagome flinched and curled up in on herself.

"Kagome?"

"I think I knew them."

It took a few moments for Ed to figure out what she was talking about.

"The people you killed."

"They knew my name. I feel…regret. Not much, hardly any. The only thing that I feel regret over is that I was with people at one time that would have the gal to point an arrow at me when I appear out of no where."

"That is strange…"

* * *

In the realm of death Inuyasha yelled at Kikyou.

'_You had to shoot at her. You just had to.'_

'_YOU still don't seem to understand. Something was wrong with her. She wasn't the same. Her purity was still there, but she was carrying a demon aura with her.'_

'_What?'_

Kikyou sighed and the others who had been trying to ignore her the two earlier now huddled around in interest.

'_The girl has changed. I think it was her sword actually. I don't know why. I just know that's how it is. The sword changed her I think. It think that when she got it she accepted being part demon as part of her fate.'_

The others looked on in awe.

* * *

Kagome looked at her sword. She had taken it out to clean it. She thought that part of the reason she was feeling guilty was because she had never even cleaned their blood off her blade and had left it to mix with whatever thing she had killed with Ed only a few days before.

As she took the blood off she noticed the demonic power that was in the blade. It startled her in some ways, but in others it made sense. She had fought a demon like thing to find it. Looking at her eyes in the blade she was surprised to find they were silver. She wondered if it was just the light on the blade.

"Ed, what color are my eyes?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just tell me please."

Ed looked closely but only for a moment. He did not need very long to find out and did not feel like inciting her anger right then.

"They're silver, silver white. Kinda like moonlight. Why?"

"They're supposed to be brown."

"Oh."

"I think that my sword did it. When I put the Shikon Jewel in the hilt and held it up to the moon something happened. I don't know why though."

"Maybe you needed the strength. Or you wanted it and part of being stronger is being part whatever you are now."

"Demon."

"Well, if that's what you are in order to protect yourself then that's how it is. Would you rather be weak?"

"No. I think you may be right. Funny how Fate works, isn't it? To be strong, I can't be human."

"Yeah, but now you don't need to have me around. Since you hate me that's probably a good thing."

"I might not have hated you if I didn't have this sword."

"So?"

"Does that mean anything to you?"

"I wonder at what you must have been like back then. Why do you care about what I think about it? You just admitted you hate me. Why should you care what I think about you?"

"I don't know. Are you going to follow me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I have nothing to return to. Nothing left to follow. The others will have left, and there is no way I will be able to find them. Besides, I wouldn't want to. As much as I love my brother, and I will still find a way to save him, I don't think that I should be with him anymore. I think that I will just get in the way."

"Oh, so why are you going to follow me."

"I like living on the edge."

"You want to protect me."

"Your words, not mine."

"The only thing you could mean by what you said is that. The only thing about something with me that's dangerous is the fact that at any given moment I could kill you." There was a pain in Ed's neck and a thin line of blood trickled down as a flash came from his right. "Tell me why I should let you walk out of this clearing to follow me."

"I saved your life, you owe me."

"What happens if I don't care about that sort of thing?"

"I die."

The blade retreated into its sheath and Kagome leaned back against the well.

"Well, at least you're stupid enough to be brave."

"I wouldn't call it bravery. I simply have nothing to lose. It can make the most dangerous kind of person, a lack of purpose."

"But you have a purpose. You need to save your bother still."

"Yes, but… outside of that there is nothing. And when I promised I sort of knew that I might not be able to do it. There have been several times when it suddenly became seemingly impossible to complete my task and I even wonder at how I survived."

"Maybe that means you're supposed to live."

There was a silence that filled the clearing. No birds chipped and the wind had stilled. Not a blade of grass whispered or a tree rustled.

Kagome stood up and started walking away. She chose the direction she was facing, not caring which way she went anymore. She had nothing left to fight for, nothing left to lose. Only everything in the world was hers to gain.

* * *

The wind moved in the direction she began walking but only Ed understood what it said.

_Beware. A child of Loss comes your way. Beware, for there is nothing left that she can fear and nothing left that she must love._

_

* * *

_

Ru-Chan: Well, hope you liked the chapter. Please tell me if you are confused. Also, if you are reading my other story and are worried that not enough people will review, I am giving you a proposition. You can a) rally a group of people or review yourself, or b) send me a message with your email address and tell me you want the chapters and I will give them to you.

Anyway, back to this story. 5 reviews for update, and I may not be able to update as quickly because I need to write the next chapter.

Bob:Thanks for your patience.


	12. The Path of Ultimate Pain

Ru-Chan: Woot. Many thanks to Ed Love Kagome for the last two reviews for an update. And of course thanks to everyone else who reviewed. Here's the next chapter, and I'm starting to get proud of my story. I hope that I can expect plenty of reviews (as in at least 5) so that I can update sooner this time.

* * *

Ed shivered several times as they walked in those bleak hours in the afternoon. It was not because of the wind that blew by him continually, he was one with the great breezes. Rather it was their messages of warning about Kagome. They chilled him more than any death or wind could.

* * *

Kagome could not hear the winds words, but knew that they followed her and moved ahead of her. She could only guess at the purpose, but she was no longer as ignorant as she had once been.

She knew that every thing had a life of its own and wished for balance. She knew that she was a disturbance in the force, and did not need to know what the wind was saying to know that she was not in its good opinion.

* * *

In the cave where it all began the wolf stirred in his dreams. Watching the girl who had taken his sword he noticed the mark of Chaos upon her. She turned her head toward where his dream body was and the wolf awoke.

* * *

Kagome felt the tingling of someone watching her on the back of her neck. She turned and looked up into the trees. She thought that she saw something in the trees, but did when she looked harder it had disappeared. She was on edge the rest of the day.

When they camped that night Ed made sure to stay as far from Kagome as possible. They set up two different fires and cooked their own meals and slept on opposite sides of the clearing.

* * *

In the morning they moved on. Ed noticed Kagome's tension and made sure to keep all of his senses alert. He appealed with the elements to keep him aware of all the things that he needed to know. They complied and he relaxed, but only slightly.

"Do you stop very often on your journeys and rest or can you keep moving non-stop?"

Ed looked at the girl and pondered what the best answer would be. Looking at her she seemed to still be keeping an easy pace without any extra effort. Taking a quick self inventory he knew that he could keep going for a long while yet.

"I can keep going. I don't need a break, but you're in charge anyway. I said I would follow you so it shouldn't matter. Or are you just trying to gauge how fast you should go to ditch me?"

"Heh, not a bad idea, but I was asking to know."

"Interesting. Why?"

"Do I need to tell you why?"

"No."

"What is it saying about me?"

This change of direction startled Ed.

"What?"

"What is the wind saying about me?"

"Ummmm…"

"I asked a question."

"I know."

"Then answer."

"Will you kill me if it's bad?"

"I thought you liked living on the edge."

"I like living on the edge, I just don't feel like falling yet."

"Let's put it this way, by not answering I'm getting angry anyway. Chances of survival are higher if you do what I want."

"Right."

* * *

He was stalling. Kagome knew that. She wondered at what the wind was saying, and now she was losing her patience.

"If it's saying something dangerous you might want to answer quicker," she prompted. Ed shuffled his feet as he walked. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it.

"It's a warning to everything and everyone up ahead. Most people won't be able to hear it, but the elements will know. They say, 'Beware, one comes who has lost everything and has nothing left to care about. She has no limits, no discrepancies.' That's basically what it says. Wording changes based on the breeze, but… yeah."

She refused to look back at him. She could already see the expression on his face.

He would be blushing slightly and have a look of concentration as well, waiting for her to turn around and attack him.

A slight smile twitched on her lips and she thought for a moment of testing whether or not his concentration was good enough. But she decided against it. Her instincts told her to wait, it would not be long before she would need an ally.

* * *

Ed's senses were sharpened and he was connected with every blade of grass in a ten meter radius. He didn't want to be taken by surprise.

Because he was in this state he was able to feel the soft voices of the dying blades yelling panic to his ears. He turned in the direction of the noise and in an instant he had changed his arm into a sword.

Kagome heard the now familiar sounds of alchemy and drew her sword turning and catching a blade on her own just in time. From a screeching of metal not too far off she concluded that Ed was in the same predicament.

_She has no limits, no discrepancies…_

Kagome wondered at this. Surely even a demon had limits to its power.

_Nothing left to lose…_

She smiled and thing that was attacking her eased back up a little nervously.

"Bad idea," she whispered.

She knew now. She feared nothing, not even death. She had nothing left to lose, and so she was not held back by petty concerns.

A yell rang through the clearing as she quickly pulled back and thrust forward adjusting her sword, piercing the heart of the thing in front of her. The thing staggered back and clutched at its chest, then smiled crookedly and watched as her face turned to surprise as the wound healed itself before her very eyes.

* * *

Ed had managed to maneuver himself into a position to see what had just happened. So now these things could heal themselves. He had had experience in killing Homunculi, but he was fairly sure that they would not die in the same way.

He winced as a sharp pain in his side brought him back to his own battle. He could see Kagome grab her own side as he stumbled backward and brought up his arm in a defensive stance.

* * *

Kagome felt the pain in her side and could smell his blood from her part of the clearing. She knew that her demon powers could not kill these things, but she might be able to use her miko powers against it.

Moving her hand down the hilt she touched the Shikon Jewel and called its powers to her aid.

The sword began to glow a bright white light and the creatures face fell. It started to back away in fear. Kagome kept her hand steady, despite the pain that she was feeling all over. She did not turn to look at her counterpart, but kept her eyes on her prey.

She lashed out suddenly, slicing off one of the things arms. It bellowed in rage and pain as it stumbled to the ground. Kagome stabbed its heart and twisted listening to the screams.

Soon the yells faded as the thing died.

* * *

Ed listened as the other thing died, and hoped that when she killed him she would not do so in such a manner. He would much rather lose his head.

Distracted for only a moment Ed lost sight of his opponent who took advantage of the situation and grabbed Ed's automail shoulder. His other hand grabbed Ed's neck.

"Switch your sword hand!" he yelled before pain beyond pain engulfed him.

* * *

Kagome heard the yell and while switching hands turned in time to see why. From shoulder to fingertips her arm felt like it was on fire. She heard Ed's scream and collapsed in pain.

Slowly she stood again, her right arm hanging limp at her side. Her left clutched the sword which glowed even brighter now.

Ed writhed on the ground in agony. It had not just ripped off his arm, it had ripped of the shoulder part as well, leaving only flesh and blood where a great asset had once been.

He bit down on his tongue and cheeks to stop himself from screaming more. The coppery bitter taste of blood filled his mouth. But he just bit down harder.

Darkness came, even to the inside of his mind and his eyes. The pain faded a bit, but was too strong to forget, even as he lost consciousness. He slipped into half dreams of blood and pain, screaming and crying for help.

* * *

Kagome watched as the thing walked away from Ed and focused on her. She twirled her blade around and charged suddenly. This one dodged and turned, but soon she had brought it to its knees.

It did not beg and she felt no mercy. Her left and raised and dropped, taking off its head.

When it dropped to the ground it was engulfed in black fire. From the corner of her eye she saw the other one go up as well. Sheathing her sword she turned and knelt down next to Ed.

She picked him up as gently as she could with one arm. He moaned and whimpered slightly, but did not wake. Noticing his jacket on the ground not to far away she set him down and picked it up.

She walked a short distance to a stream and tried to get some of the dirt off of it only using one arm. When she had finished she brought it back and wrapped it as best she could around his shoulder.

He stiffened when she pulled it against he wound and she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder area, but knew that it would only help and bore the pain in silence.

She checked his pulse next and stiffened when she felt the shallow and erratic tendencies it followed. She did not know if because he had gotten the wound from something else if she would die or not. She did not want to die because of him.

His breathing began to slow even more and she worried that she would have to do something to save him. Memories from school of what to do in situations like these came to mind, but she quickly decided that she would _much_ rather die.

Then something else came to her attention. Even if she did not die, she did not know if she would be able to use her arm again. She had no idea what would happen when he died…_IF, IF HE DIED!_ She told herself forcefully. There had to be something that she could do.

He had to live, she could not take the chance.

But when he did live, he would still have no arm. And without Winry, he would not have any arm. If he had no arm, then Kagome would not be able to use hers. But the only surety came from him living.

She could take him back, if she saved him. She could take him back to the grandmother, what was her name. She could take him back and give him to the woman. Then, while he recovered, she would be able to leave him behind and travel on her own.

_You cannot do that._

The voice that spoke to her was not her conscience, but was something else around her. It was not the wind, nor the trees, nor the grass, but all of them seemed to speak to her through the sword at her side.

"Why, I have every right to leave him. I could even just let him die. If I kill him, I won't die in the end."

_You cannot be sure of that. You might not be alive now if it were not for him. He warned you of the danger, even when you threatened him. You own him your life, among other things._

"Other things?"

_You will see in time. Perhaps you see now. You owe him much. Pay him back. Only you can save him now._

The voices stopped and Kagome was left alone with Ed once more. His breathing was even more shallow now and his forehead was covered in sweat. She did not want to leave him alone, but would not be able to carry him as well as gather the herbs she would need.

She drew her sword and used it to carve a circle on the ground around him. As she did this she held the Jewel and forced her power into the ground. When she lifted her blade the circle glowed a white light. A shimmering air appeared around the body seeming to be trapped in a bubble.

Kagome looked back only once as she walked away to find the herbs and something to mix them in.

* * *

Ed floated in darkness. His right side was aflame and he was shaking all over. His mind was racing and if he opened his inner eyes he could see things around him.

Slowly a landscape began to form. A path in a green field. It was a sight he knew well.

"_So then, it is my time is it. Well, it was nothing more than I should have guessed really. I wonder if she is alright._" He looked up at the sky and asked to no one in particular, "_I don't suppose that you'll let me see, would you?_"

The lack of noise was his answer, but it did not make him happy. Still, there was no fighting it. Turning around he saw the strange beasts still behind him, eyes full of greed and hunger.

One of them pounced.

Ed turned to take the blow on his back.

And a howl of rage went up as the beast turned to dust.

When Ed looked up a barrier was up around him as well as a mist. Walking around it he found that it did not move with him, and so he waited until the beasts had lost appetite and left before he went to move down the path.

He rebounded off the barrier.

It would not let him walk into Death. It would not let him move on.

* * *

Kagome came back and settled inside of her barrier. The poultice she made was crude and the cloth she had managed to find for bandaging was thin and there was little of it. But there was nothing better that she could do.

Gently, she removed the coat from his shoulder and began to clean the wound as best she could. It was still bleeding and she had to hurry to apply the poultice and bandages. Even when she had just barely finished it was already bleeding through.

Ed was sweating worse and had run up a fever. She needed to get him to a village and fast. She did not think but broke her circle and maneuvered Ed onto her back, trying to steady him with one arm.

She was weary form the fight still, but knew that she needed to hurry. She ran, or at least tried to run as she carried the boy on her back. Something in the wood stirred her memory and she turned to near a village she was sure was not too far a way off.

* * *

Kaede looked up and saw in the distance something coming over the hill. It was a familiar shape and as she stood and blinked, she recognized who it was.

It took quite a few blinks seeing as the girl she had known for so long was now covered in blood, carried a sword, and was holding a blonde haired boy.

She snapped at a group of men to get her things ready and open the gate for the girl and her burden.

* * *

Sitting in her hut only a few minutes later Kaede was most confused. The girl she had once known had no recognition of her, would not speak of what had happened to the others, and insisted on being left to take care of the boy alone. She watched to girl work tirelessly, trying to stop the bleeding and keep the boy alive at the same time.

Kaede pondered the sword. She had heard rumor that Naraku had died, but now she saw the proof in the hilt of the sword that the girl still wore around her waist. She also noticed the fact that the girl was not using her right arm.

After examining it for some time Kaede could not find anything wrong with it.The armsimply would not work. She thought that she may find something on closer examination, but the girl would not let the woman near her.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Watch think, huh. I hope I can update soon. 5 reviews please!


	13. Paths to the Past

Ru-Chan: Yay, I get to update again. I hope to be able to update sooner more often. Hope you like this chapter.

Joe:R&R please.

* * *

Kagome managed to clean the wound, dress it, and bandage it with the use of only one arm. When she sat back she was relieved, and she had to admit it. Though his breathing was still shallow and he had not gotten rid of his fever yet, he was not getting any worse.

Kagome closed her eyes and tried to meditate for a few moments so that she could get control of her haphazard emotions.

She was glad that he was going to be okay, but she was not sure why. She was also glad that these people had let her in even after she had not professed to know or remember them. Now she just wanted a bath, a warm meal, and a nice bed to rest in.

Food was pressed under her nose and she mumbled thanks before trying to shovel food into her mouth with the use of only one hand.

While she felt pains and bruises all over, she felt the loss of her arm the most. She had noticed the wound in Ed's side and had bandaged that as well, so she was feeling better over all, but she mourned he loss of her limb.

Her only hope was to head back to his time and get a new arm for him so that she could use her own again. But she could not quite remember the way back and was worried that it might no longer be open to her.

"Ye have a troubled mind, lass. Pray tell, what bothers ye."

Kagome looked at the woman.

"I can't use my arm, I have no idea who you are though you seem to know me, I have to get somewhere to treat this boy and I don't think I can, and if I don't I won't ever be able to travel on my own again."

"Sounds like a heavy burden for you to bear. Worse than your ones from before."

"I don't want to know."

Kaede looked at the girl surprised.

"It means I might have to take responsibility for some things that I've done, and I'm not ready to deal with that yet. I don't want to remember why I have so many problems. I just want to keep moving forward. Right now, I have nothing holding me back but this guy here. I'll get rid of him as best I can and keep moving. I have nothing to lose, so nothing can stop me."

"Lady, ye may not want to know, but I do. Can ye tell me anything of a miko, and half demon, a monk, a demon slayer, a kitsune, and a two tailed fire cat?"

Kaede began to worry when Kagome looked down and shifted a little in her seat. She asked again.

"Well, do ye?"

Kagome could not meet the woman's eyes. If this woman knew her and the people she had killed it was likely that Kagome had known them as well. But she could not avoid the question.

"I have seen them."

"And…"

"They're dead."

The air seemed to thicken at this and Kagome found it hard to breath. Kaede was taking large breaths of air trying to calm herself.

"All of them?" she asked in a stupor.

"No, the cat and kitsune survived. I don't know where they are now."

"How do ye know?"

This was not something Kagome could answer. No matter how hard she tried she could not force the words out of her throat. She was feeling dirty here and now. It made her feel strange because at the time she had felt nothing at all.

"If I watched the boy, would ye look for the kitsune and cat for me, as payment for this help?"

Kagome looked up and nodded.

"Could I have his name?"

"The poor lads name is Shippo. Lost his father, and them was the only family he had left."

Kagome forced her gut not to clench. She nodded and stood, shifting her sword to the other side so that she could draw it easier. Then she left.

* * *

Ed had not been having bad dreams. He felt pain, but it had been lessening and he had been drowning in a feeling like he had never known.

Now he felt cold and abandoned. His mind was racing. He tried to reach out to the elements, but found that his power reserves were dangerously low. He also noticed his healing was taking a good part of his energy. He tried to divide the flow more evenly, sending more power to his reserves and less to other things, like dreams. He sat back and tried to hold the flow as it was going.

He was shivering and lonely. The comforting presence had left him and now he trembled in weakness and fear.

* * *

Shippo was trembling and hiding on Kirara's back as he tried to pretend that he was in no danger and that Kagome was holding him like she had used to when he was in danger or when Inuyasha had picked on him.

Inuyasha.

The little kitsune started crying and crying. He was going to die. Even as weak as he was, his sense of smell was good and it heightened the smell of blood coming from his last protector.

A myriad of demons had come chasing after them and now it was done to the final stand. And Shippo could not help because he could not fight. He was going to let his friend, his last friend, die.

A new scent entered the clearing and Shippo turned to look at it. His eyes grew wide in terror at the look on Kagome's face and the glow of the blade she held in her hand. The only thing that stopped him from screaming was the fact that she was not looking at him but the other demons.

They noticed her and charged.

She held her blade up and closed her eyes. A bright light formed around the blade.

It grew and filled the clearing.

When the light faded only Kirara, Shippo, and Kagome were left.

On impulse, forgetting the past, the frightened young demon jumped into Kagome's arms and cried.

* * *

It was embarrassingly easy to save Shippo, but Kagome was surprised when he jumped and grabbed onto her, crying into shoulder. She braced him with the arm that held her sword and beckoned to Kirara with her head to follow. The fire cat looked skeptical, but soon took off after her when she left with Shippo.

* * *

Kaede looked up at the shouts and walked outside. Kagome had returned and had brought both of the demons with her. Shippo was still crying into her shoulder.

"I trust things went well then."

"Well, enough. I need to talk to Shippo first though. Do you mind?"

"Aye, go ahead out back. I'll stand guard out front if it be to ye's desire."

"Fine."

Kagome went out back and set Shippo down on the ground and settled down in front of him.

"Listen to me Shippo, I have something that you need to know."

"Y-yes…"

"I can't have you telling Kaede that it was me who killed the others. I need her help right now."

"But, w-why d-did you k-ki, d-do it?"

"I have no idea who you are beyond your name and that Kaede wanted me to find you and bring you back to her. I know even less about those who are dead."

Shippo looked up in surprise. She could not remember him and their friends.

"How?"

"I don't know, but I need help right now."

"Why don't you use your left arm?"

Kagome sighed, but she felt like she should tell him. He had trusted her and as going to keep her secret.

"There's a boy in Kaede's hut who's hurt very badly. Someone tore his arm off." She did not bother to tell him that it was metal. That would just confuse him. "For some reason if something else hurts him I can feel it. I can't use my arm because he doesn't have one."

"Oh."

The two of them went back out front and Kaede said she would take care of the two while Kagome went and checked on the boy.

* * *

Ed had been struggling to keep the energy flow balanced ad was having a hard time about it through all the pain. All of a sudden he felt the presence that had been there before come back and surround him once more. He had complete control over all of his power.

He sent out a plea in the smallest voice he could to the elements nearby to help him and give some of their energy to him. They complied and his reserves quickly filled, so he was able to direct the rest of his energy toward healing.

* * *

As Kagome walked in she noticed that Ed had not worsened, but he was not much better. As she checked and replaced his bandages she noticed his bruises shrinking and the shallower cuts healing. The wound in his side was even doing well. She replaced the bandage on it and it alone.

His arm was another story.

Every time she touched it she had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. It hurt and was still releasing some blood. She placed more poultice on it and wrapped it in a new bandage, but she knew that she had to get him back soon if she was ever going to save his arm and her own.

* * *

Kaede patched up Shippo who sat quietly, now out or tears. She wanted to ask him what Kagome had said, but she was sure she would get no answer. And Kirara would not be any help in this situation. She was curled up for a nap.

* * *

Ed sent his energy back to where it should be and let his normal healing take place. The wound on his side would be gone by the next day. He did not even look at his arm. It hurt him to think about it.

The area around him paled and brightened. He knew it was time for him to wake up.

* * *

Kagome sat and watched Ed diligently through the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Shippo, Kaede, and Kirara had all come back and were now asleep after having eaten and gotten ready for the next day.

As she watched Kagome saw Ed's eyelids flutter slightly. He stirred and her arm nearly twitched in pain.

Ed's eyes opened slowly.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Watcha think? I hope you liked it. It gets even better soon. Please review!


	14. Missing Path

Ru-Chan: Well, it's finally time for an update. Yes. 5 reviews for next chapter. Don't make fun of me for the first part of the chapter. And pay attention, this is an important chapter. R&R!

* * *

Kagome's breathing slowed as golden eyes met silver. She blinked a few times and then regained her composure.

"Well, it's about you woke up."

* * *

Ed came to when she spoke. He had been caught up in the moment. Looking around he noticed that it was night and they were in a hut of some sort. He could feel the life force of three other beings but was not so foolish as to try and look around to find them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he replied as casually as one could when they have woken up to realize that their arm is missing. The edges of his vision were fuzzy.

"Well, go back to sleep as soon as you can. You should be ready to go tomorrow."

"You're not leaving me here?"

"No. We're going back to your home town ASAP."

"Why, I'm just a burden. I can't fight, and I don't know how well I'll be able to keep up. Heck, you may have to carry me."

"A doubly hard job because _I can't use my arm_." Her voice dropped and Ed could feel the acidity in it in his every breath. Of course. She had to help him. Otherwise she would not have her own arm to use.

"Right."

"Now go to sleep or I'll knock you out. We need to move quickly."

Ed closed his eyes and soon found himself drifting in dreams of happier times and warm people.

* * *

Kagome watched as Ed went to sleep and then leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, her sword propped against her legs right by her hand if it should be needed.

Her sleep held no dreams.

* * *

A female voice drifted out into the great hallway. The hallway, no everything in this place was bathed in white.

The wolf man was on one knee, his fist pressed into the ground.

"Of course, I have no reason to get involved. We trusted you with the task. Now carry it out."

"Yes, milady."

He stood and hung his head, turned, lifted his head, and stalked out of the room.

A light chuckle rose from the throne he had been facing.

"So different now, aren't you Kyrl?"

* * *

Kagome woke to a bird singing very close by. In her ear in fact. She snapped awake and glared at Ed who was laying flat on his back on his mat on the floor. His eyes were on her.

She glared at him.

"I could have rotated to my right side, but I thought you might appreciate the bird more." His even tones crossed the room and Kagome sighed. Gently, but quickly, she grabbed the bird and stepped outside, letting it go into the morning light.

"If I helped you stand, do you think that you could walk?"

"If you don't mind a breeze following us everywhere, then yes. I can, but I would like to have breakfast first and get provisions.

Kagome sighed, but knew that he was right. They needed things like food and medicine to keep Ed going until they reached his home. She had discarded her bag long ago. She also needed a new set of clothing.

Kaede awoke and started making breakfast. Kagome asked her about spare clothing.

"Ye always kept a bag and provisions here before, just in case ye could not make it back to yer home at any point in time. I should have it around here somewhere…" She began to look for it as soon as she set Shippo to watch the breakfast.

Kagome helped Ed sit up and get used to using only one arm. She had adjusted to it fairly well, but did not want to continue with only one arm. Besides, she needed a good excuse to leave this place and never come back.

Ed talked with Shippo and the two of them laughed a few times at each other and at the conversation and the general mood was much more welcome than before. Kagome took the supplies that Kaede found and went to take a bath.

She came back dressed in a pair of loose silver pants and a gold-amber tee. She threw Ed an oversized black tee and told him that it should fit.

"I have no idea why I had that, but I will never wear it and you need a new shirt."

Ed's pants were in fairly good condition but were covered in blood. He was eventually able to borrow a pair while Kaede cleaned his. Preparations took until the afternoon, and by then Kagome was angsty.

She wanted to be on the road. Her new bag was smaller than her old one and held less, but she knew that it would be enough for just her and Ed. Finally it was time for them to go.

Ed had summoned a myriad of winds to help him keep his balance and Kagome was grateful for the breeze on the hot summer day. She said goodbye to Kaede and Shippo. Kirara was still sleeping somewhere inside and she thought it best not to wake the cat demon.

When they were far enough away and on a hill Kagome looked back one last time. She never saw that place again, not with her own eyes.

* * *

The two of them traveled quickly despite Ed's injuries. He seemed to draw physical strength from the wind as well, so they were able to move quickly and cover good distance in their first day.

They set up camp that night but owing to the fact that each only had one arm they both decided to help one another and managed to put together a fairly good stew.

Then they crawled to opposite sides of the clearing and fell asleep.

They traveled for several days like this, and as they went on they found that though the winds helped Ed they could not always keep him upright. Sometimes he would fall and hit his arm, much to the discomfort and discontent of the two of them.

After one such incident where he fell and hit a very sharp rock Kagome lost patience.

"WE'LL NEVER GET THERE AT THIS RATE, NOT IN ONE PIECE!"

Ed knew that she was right. He felt miserable and his shoulder was now bleeding through the bandaging. They had to stop while Kagome rewrapped it and grumbled about how long it was taking.

They were standing up to leave when Ed slapped himself on the forehead nearly falling over backwards.

"Of course, how could I forget!"

"What?"

"I can take us much faster, especially now that I have my reserves built up. We can use the shadows and appear near the path. I would have to tap your memory first to see where you found it the first time, but then we could be there at latest by this evening."

Kagome considered this for a moment.

"What will you see when you get into my memory?"

"If you think about the place only I should be able to find it in a few seconds and take us there. Only…" he paused, unsure if he would survive if he continued.

"Only what?"

"I might need to hold you to make sure you come with me. I don't know if the shadows will let you any other way. That's the only way I used to be able to Al and me home on time. It wouldn't work if he just grabbed my shoulder."

Kagome fought to keep down a blush. An internal battle was raging inside her. One side said that she would rather die than let him hold her, even if it meant the trip would go faster.

The more tricky part of her said that it would only be for a moment and when it was over she could ditch him, have a whole arm, and go about her life.

Unfortunately, that side won. She sighed.

"Fine, but not until you have the memory, and no funny stuff."

"I'll need your hand then. I have to have so contact to get the memory."

The hand was reluctantly extended and Ed took it lightly. Kagome thought of the day she had come to the bridge forcefully, trying to push any thoughts of the feeling that was going on with her hand to the back of her mind.

Ed looked for a scene near a path and pulled it into himself. He placed it in the foremost of his mind and let the hand drop suddenly. Kagome opened her eyes and walked up to him.

Was it just her, or had he gotten taller. She actually had to look up at him.

Ed carefully wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in close. He closed his eyes and whispered.

"You might want to close your eyes. It always scared Al. It's always very dark."

Kagome heard him but kept her eyes open. She wanted to see.

Ed thought about the picture he had pulled. He tried to see a shadow and found one. He calculated where it would have to be then and realized he would have to be ready to move some water.

Slowly he dropped into the shadow of his own to feet.

* * *

Kagome could not see anything. She could not smell or taste or feel Ed who had been right beside her only a moment before. She would have been scared, but she was calm. She knew where his arm should be, and so she held onto it with her one working arm. She felt warm and tingly all over. It felt… _right_. This place and this time were how it was meant to be.

* * *

Ed could see her, but he knew she could not see him. He was the only one who could make out the landscape they were approaching. He felt comfortable holding her up against him, as if he had been meant for that only.

He felt her grab his arm with her own.

That was strange. She would not be able to feel him there beside her, something that had always tortured Al, but she seemed to know that he was there. He pulled her even closer and tired to focus on the scene before him, a river in shadow.

All of a sudden Kagome could see him again. She could smell him, feel him, she could hear his heart beating near her ear. Her own heart nearly stopped.

Looking down she saw they were standing on top of a river in shadow. It was the river from her dream. She waited for him to take them to land, but he seemed distracted. Becoming embarrassed at how close they were she turned to reprimand him and then stopped.

The path was gone.

Kagome stiffened and Ed lost his grip. She fell out of his arm and into the river. Ed reached down quickly and grabbed her arm. The wind was having a hard time supporting them both.

Kagome's feet found the riverbed and she pushed herself up and out using Ed as her anchor. They both tumbled backward onto the shore. Blushing, Kagome hurriedly scrambled off of Ed as she had landed on top of him.

She turned and looked toward the place where the path should have been. She knew it was the right place. She could smell it in the air, feel on her skin. She knew this was the place.

But the gate was closed and now all was hopeless.

Kagome fell to her knees, hanging her head.

* * *

Ed wanted to get up and help her, but he could not move. He had forgotten that taking someone else with him took so much energy and now after he had to use the winds and water as well he was exhausted. He could hardly look up and watch her collapse to her knees.

"It was all for nothing."

He could barely hear her say it, and the worst part was not the resignation in her voice. It was the fact that she grabbed her arm and would not look at him. It was all his fault. He had held her back. He had been too weak.

* * *

Kagome fought back tears and forced herself to stand. She had to be stronger than these feelings.

_Nothing to lose…_

Kagome chuckled sourly and then she lifted her head to sky and started to laugh bitterly. It was a kind of cackled mixed with genuine laughter. Tears dripped one by one down her face, but the laughter would not die.

* * *

Ed watched in horror as she just stood there and laughed. The cloudy sky above let down the first of its cleansing tears and they washed down his face, crying for him. Far off, the thunder growled, but she would not stop laughing.

The wind whipped around him, screaming in warning, forcing him to his feet. He stumbled over to her and tried to look her in the eyes, but she refused to see his face.

* * *

She could hear the thunder, feel the rain, see the lightening, and yet she would not move. She only laughed harder. He could feel hi next to her, almost hear him shouting in her ears, but she was heedless to his voice. It all meant so little.

_Nothing to lose…_

'_What about my mind. I forgot my mind. I forgot my body. I had no one left to lose but myself. What a cruel irony. I lost everything, thought I had nothing, and now, why am I even alive. I cannot win."_

* * *

Ed could feel it. The stirring in her soul. He knew it from past experience. He had seen it in people who knew it was time to die, or who could not see what it was they had left to live for.

"Nothing to lose…"

Ed looked at her stunned and then grabbed her shoulder and shook her.

"NO, you can't just do that. Don't be stupid. You have things left. Stop being stupid!" he yelled in her ear.

* * *

Kagome saw it. A path in her minds eye. It was peaceful. It was calm. It led to nothing and that was fine with her. But one thing first.

Kagome looked down and into his face. She placed her immobile hand on the hilt of her sword, over the jewel. It had to work. She owed him her life. She placed her other hand on his right shoulder and closed her eyes.

It would make the passage easier.

* * *

Ed could not move. He had been yelling and in one moment he was looking into a pair of silver eyes and was drowning in them. He felt a hand on his shoulder and did not realize until too late what was about to happen.

* * *

She gripped his shoulder tightly, he would not be able to stand in a moment. Then she closed her eyes and let her power go.

Her eyes closed and Ed screamed. If she had not been holding him he would have been on the ground writhing. A light moved from his shoulder and solidified after what seemed like hours of pain. He opened his eyes in time to see Kagome smile slightly with those brilliant eyes.

Then the eyes closed and she fells into his _arms_. The sudden weight made Ed drop to his knees, still holding the girl.

"No," he whispered. "No," he said again, more forcefully, shaking her gently. "NO, NO, NO, YOU CAN'T! DON'T BE STUPID! NO!"

* * *

Ru-Chan: Cliffy, sorta. HOpe you all review soon. Then you'll know what happens. Please, if youread my other stories, review them too. Thanks.


	15. A Choice of Joined Paths

Ru-Chan: Crap, I'm going to have to write faster or postphone the other stories. I got all my reviews in two days. Yipe. I may have to slow down the update times. Sorry to all you people who fatihfully review. 5 reviews for an update, but be warned that I might not be abel to update right away. R&R!

* * *

There was something wrong, Kagome thought. The path was inviting. Almost too much so. It was nice, but it seemed to be a long walk to reach something close to a lie. She was not in the mood for that. The problem was she did not have very much energy to get back with.

* * *

No matter how hard he shook her he knew she would not came back. For a moment he considered diving in after her and forcing her back, but it would take too much of his strength. And it was strength that he did not have.

"No," he whispered. "Not yet please. You can't go yet. Not for me. Not for this."

He was no longer sure whether the water on his face was tears or the rain, but he did not care. Drops fell from his face onto the empty shell that had once been full of life, courage, and a certain love that can only be expressed by the permitting of existence.

* * *

There was no other choice, she would have to wait until she got enough strength and just go back. Hopefully even if she was buried, Ed would be long gone and she could keep on going without having to worry about anything.

But Kagome had little patience, and was not really sure if she wanted to leave the boy behind. He was tolerable and she would need someone to keep her civil at least.

* * *

A gentle thrumming went up Ed's arms. He looked at the form in his arms and pulled it closer praying to anything to let it work.

She was changing her mind. She wanted to come back.

Ed quickly sought shelter and found a cave nearby. It was small, but it kept the rain out. He fished out of her supplies a blanket. He covered her and stepped outside the cave. Closing his eyes he tried to remember how it had felt.

He clapped his hands together and pressed them onto the ground outside the cave mouth. To his joy a wall formed and solidified. He turned then and went to fire stones and fire wood. He set them outside the cave until he had gathered enough and then opened wall.

Stepping inside he moved in all his supplies and created a wall again. Then he started making a fire.

Using his last bit of power he drew the moister out of the wood and set it in a ring of stones. He summoned a touch of fire and lit some kindling. Soon there was a blaze going which made he cave bearable. He sat beside Kagome and waited. There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

Kagome looked around. She was not sure that going wither way on the path would bring her back to her body. Actually, she was very sure, but she did not know how she would get back out again. She could jump, but she was not sure if she had enough strength to actually get back.

She called out silently to the Shikon Jewel and asked for help to return. A bright glow in the sky was her response and so she jumped…

* * *

Ed could hardly see, the light from the jewel on her hilt had blinded him so. But he was recovering his eyesight quickly and he could feel her soul trying to reach her body. Knowing it was safe, he reached out gently to her mind and called to her soul.

* * *

Kagome was somewhat lost. She was not entirely sure how to get back all the way. The jewel had given her the strength to return to the world, but she had no idea where she was in comparison.

A soft breeze whirled around her. It whispered in her ear and dragged her along. There was a familiar comfort in the breeze and Kagome let it carry her away. She saw herself up ahead and dived into her body.

* * *

Ed felt her arrive and got out as quickly as he could. He did not think that she would be very appreciative if she found out that he had helped her come back.

* * *

Kagome was alive. She could tell because she hurt all over and could hardly think. She was too tired to do anything other than let her dreams kidnap her into a land of peace and comfort.

Ed touched her forehead lightly so as not to wake her. She was a little warm, but not yet sick. She would be alright until morning.

* * *

Kagome's body went on overload. She drew from every power source nearby that she could reach. Her mind was a black blur for hours before she even had enough energy to think.

Her thoughts went something like this.

_I was dead. That makes me an undead, right. That girl I killed that one day was undead, sort of. The one who tried to shoot at me. So now I'm like her._

_For some reason, that makes me mad, really, really mad._

_But I wasn't really dead. I was going to be dead, but I wasn't dead yet because I got back mostly on my own. I knew how to get back. If I had been dead, someone would have had to find me and drag me out because I wouldn't have wanted to leave._

_So I'm not like that girl. Okay, feeling much better._

_Now, the jewel helped me out, but that wind thing brought me to my body. Note to self, did not feel like the power of the jewel. Second note to self, felt familiar, sort of. Third note to self, did something stupid for boy I hate. Gives the _wrong_ impression._

'_You know you like him.'_

_Auuuuggggg, now evil conscience is telling me I like boy. NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Okay, happy thoughts. Flowers, trees, green grass, warm arms…. NOOOOOOOOOOO! Okay, try again._

_Flowers, flowers are pretty. Trees, make good hiding place to kill people. Green grass, soft bed on long journeys where I forget my sleeping bag. Blood, blood is good. Blood means I just killed something, it means I'm happy. Okay, ummm, what's next? Swords, swords are cool. I like my sword. It helped me get stronger. Helps me draw blood. There, now we're on the right track._

'_You know, he has nice hair…'_

_Yea-, NOOOO! Bad conscience. Thinking of blood, blood makes us happy._

'_Not when he was bleeding…'_

_SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!_

'_I think that I may know more than you do. I'm in better communication with your heart.'_

_Stop. Please, I don't think that I can handle it right now._

'_You know that familiar presence?'_

_Yea-, I'm gonna kill him!_

'_I doubt that.'_

_Shut up. Just 'cause you may be right this time don't mean that you're right all the time._

'_Just admit it. If you admit it to yourself you might admit it to him. Then he might hold you again.'_

_Oh, well, maybe. But I think that may be a bit out of my character._

'_I don't think that he will mind.'_

_I hate it when you're right._

'…'

_What, nothing else. Fine then, I won't tell him! Take that._

'_He may tell you first.'_

_Then I'll turn him down._

'_I would love to see you try.'_

_It's easy. I hold my sword in my hand and when he says it I slit his throat._

'_You owe him.'_

_Darn, I won't see him when I die then, will I. What a horrid shame._

'_You know, being sarcastic won't change how you feel.'_

_Maybe I don't feel that way now that I came back. Maybe being dead changed me._

'_For the better?'_

_Shut up._

* * *

Ed watched her sleeping form when he woke up the next day. He checked to see if she was feverish and found much to his pleasure that she was not. He also noted how much more power she had. They might be able to leave that day.

* * *

Kagome's eyelids fluttered briefly. She stirred gently then slowly opened her eyes. Ed had opened the wall to let in the morning light and the fresh scent of the grass after rain. He noticed how the sunlight on her eyes made them sparkle like the full moon at midnight.

When Kagome awoke she saw Ed staring at her. Her overly sensitive nose picked up the scent of wet grass and clean air. She breathed deeply but gently to take in the smell. It filled her like new life. She eased herself up, and did it with a great satisfaction, with both of her arms.

"You're awake. Are you hungry?"

Truth was that she was famished, but she would not tell him so. She would prove to herself that she did not love him.

"A little. What do you have?"

"Not much. A bit of stew left, I need to get supplies."

"I guess that'll work for now."

He gave her a bowl and she devoured its contents as quickly as she could without seeming rude or super hungry. When she was done she felt like she could have eaten thirty times that and still be hungry.

He cleaned up the cave, getting rid of the stones and the ashes. Kagome watched him and noted how refreshed he looked after the rain. He seemed like a flower, perking up with a bit of sun and some water. The thought nearly made Kagome laugh.

* * *

Ed sat down after cleaning up. The wind rustled around him, bringing the scent of the air outside to him and energizing his very soul. He looked over at Kagome who was rolling up her blanket.

"What will you do now?"

"Huh?"

"You gave me my arm back, I can use it. And you have your arm. So where are you planning on going?"

Kagome thought about this for a minute and cam to a difficult but important conclusion.

"I think that I will travel with you still."

"Really, why? I thought that you'd take your first chance out."

"You get into too much trouble. If I leave you chances are high you'll hurt yourself again and I will suffer for it. May as well be around to heal you then put you out of your misery."

"Why both?"

"Because then I have higher chances of getting my ability and I have an excuse to get rid of you."

"Oh."

Ed looked down at the floor.

"So, where should we go?"

"To find you a swords master. And someone who makes half decent swords. Without your arm it'll be harder for you to change your arm right. And it's always nice to know how to wield your weapon."

"Right. So how are we going to get me a sword? We don't have any money."

"True. Maybe something will present itself."

"Maybe."

* * *

They chose a random road and began to follow it. The truth was they did not care at all where they were going, so they could go anywhere.

They decided to leave the forest. It was too easy for someone to sneak up on them. They would have a better chance if they traveled out in the open. So they did.

The only time they complained was the first night it rained. Then Ed remembered that he could make the rain fall around them ad make the water in the ground move away from them. That was when the settled down.

"Ed."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked surprised.

"For getting rid of the rain. It was just nice of you to get rid of it over me to, even though I threaten to kill you on a daily basis."

"Oh, well, you're welcome."

Kagome snuggled down deeper into the grass. It smelt like freedom.

"Arigato Ed-San."

Ed looked over at the girl. She was sleeping delicately on the grass. A small smile was on her face. That was the first time she had touched on the roots of her past when talking to him. It made him feel special for some reason.

And she had chosen to come with him. No matter how rational she had made it sound, he knew that she could have walked away or even just killed him then. He looked at the sky and the sliver of moon that was showing, thinking of how much it looked like her eyes whenever she first opened them in the morning. He always woke up to see it. it was worth more to him than the sunrise.

He fell asleep to the sound of her breathing gently into the grass. Laying down he could sometimes feel it brush his cheek as the grass moved. He smiled, then fell asleep himself. Tomorrow would be a good day. He could feel it in his bones.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Hope you liked the chapter. I enjoyed writing it. We are coming toward the end of the story. I'm sorry, I don't want it to end either. Review and get ready for the best story ever (sort of).


	16. Paths of the Mind

Ru-Chan: Gahhhh, I am noodle. No strength at all. I kept trying to tell myself not to update until I got that one last review, but it just wasn't coming and I had to update. Do not yell at me for my highly inadiquate(sp) knowledge of weapons. Just go with it. You don't have to like it, just accept that I am not perfect and move on.

Joe: R&R please people. We need 5 this time or we're getting rid of the story. As in trashing it. Removing it from the site. You know. You have been warned. Review.

* * *

A gentle warmth spread over Kagome's cheek and a brightness squeezed under her eyelids. Her heart pounded faster as she opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She looked over at Ed who was watching her. He always seemed to be watching her when she woke up. But as usual, she said nothing.

* * *

Ed looked away, slightly embarrassed. He did not mean to stare so much, but he found himself fighting a losing battle when it came to watching her wake up in the morning. She never said anything, for which he was very grateful, but he always felt a little guilty when she looked over at him to see him staring at her. 

The sky was slightly overcast and the air was warm. The gentlest breeze drifted over the grassy field, making the grass dance and the duo's hair dance around their faces. Ed had given up on his usual braid a long time ago when he had lost his tie. Kagome always had her hair down.

The two of them walked for sometime before Kagome stopped and turned to look at Ed. She seemed to appraise him for a few moments then sighed exasperatedly.

"You really should learn some sword techniques now before anything else bad happens."

"What?"

"You have no training and it could be a very long time before you find anyone to teach you. We need to find a way to teach you something now. Any weapon would work."

"What would we do?"

"I suppose that I could lend you my sword and then maybe you could make me a bow. Then we could see how well you can block my arrows."

"Um, how would that help me?"

"I would try and shoot at you in places where you would have to learn to block a sword if we were facing each other head on. It does two things then. You learn to block arrows and swords. Like learning to run and walk at the same time, only it works."

"If you say so. But I don't know how to make a _good_ bow and half decent arrows."

"You'll have to read my mind then and try and make something from that. I know how, and you need practice."

"Alright," he said shuffling his feet. The truth was he did not want to go inside her head. It was a kind of two way connection and he had no reason to let her into his mind. He would be quite happy to keep her out of parts of it thank you very much.

But she was right, and so after they had traveled for a little longer and had eaten lunch they settled down in the grass and began to think.

* * *

Kagome had liked her old bow, but she wanted something bigger this time, partially because she had grown and partially because she just wanted something bigger and heavier. The sword had been an adjustment and she did not think she could wield something as light as her old bow in the same way anymore. 

On her mind she pictured something larger and more heavy. It was also going to be stronger, more durable, and more beautiful. She wanted something better quality and more personal.

"Alright, you can come in now."

Ed reached out with his mind and saw an image in her own. Looking at it he saw that it was definitely a good bow. He was not an expert, but you did not have to be to see art like that. It would take time and tools. But he had every resource he needed at his fingertips.

The hardest part would be the designs on the bow. He had to admit that she had style, but she also had complex ideas. He would have to stay for a while to make sure that he got everything.

* * *

Kagome squirmed in her mind. She was not entirely comfortable with Ed being in there, but she had suggested it so she had to see it through. She noticed a string seeming to leave her minds boundaries and it also seemed to be attached to Ed. She stared at it for a while then looked at him. He was tracing her bow design carefully and slowly. Very slowly. She had time. 

Kagome followed the string into Ed's mind. It was bigger than she had expected, and very full. There were doors that were blocked off and there were paths with pitfalls. There were also giant rooms with memories in them. In a few minutes worth of time Kagome understood the majority of Ed's childhood. A feat she would be very happy to give up. It did give her comfort however to know that he had been given some training in fighting at least. She would not need to worry about fixing his reflexes first.

Wondering around she saw a very peculiar looking door. It was gold but had a bright silver moon engraved on it. About to reach up and open it Kagome stopped. She knew that the doors to his childhood had been wide open, but she was not sure if she could open this door. It seemed more like snooping than the other room had seemed.

She knew that if the same door had existed in her mind she would not have wanted him to open it. It seemed special, and she did not want to break whatever trust had been formed between the two of them for this. She turned and ran back to her own mind before she changed her choice.

She got back a little while before Ed had finished. She was relieved to see that he had not even noticed she was gone. He was rubbing his hands up and down the length of the bow to get a final feel for it. Then he turned to her.

"_It may take a little while to make. It's a very nice bow. How long do I have to make it?"_

"_As long as you need. I hoped to get at least five hours of training in before the day was done, but we can always wait till tomorrow. If you use too much energy you may need to rest anyway."_

Ed nodded and left her alone in her mind once more.

Kagome opened her eyes to see Ed sitting in front of her with a look of fierce concentration fixed on his face. A small tree was growing beside him and Kagome could hear the call of a bird in the distance. It seemed to be coming toward them. She decided that it would be best to leave Ed to his task and went to hunt for dinner.

* * *

Ed worked for hours trying to make the bow perfect. He felt Kagome leave soon after he had started, but was grateful to not have the distraction of her presence near him. It was quite unsettling to see the stark contrast of the demon power in her mixing among her miko abilities.

* * *

It took Kagome much longer than it should have to find something and kill it, but she wanted an excuse to be far from the spot where Ed was working. The scent of the earth and all that belonged on it frightened her and made her nose itch. When she had made her kill, she skinned it and cooked it far from Ed, her excuse being the smells and sounds would distract him and remind him of how hungry he was, which would make her bow slightly inferior.

* * *

When Ed had finished he sent the bird he had summoned away and gently picked up the bow and quiver of arrows. He knew that Kagome had not made an image of these, but he based them on the design for her bow and was quite pleased with them. The raven black fletching matched Kagome's hair perfectly and the carvings of wolves and roses seemed almost alive in their detail.

* * *

When Kagome got back with their supper Ed was standing up and stretching while holding the bow and quiver. Seeing her arrival he presented both to her and took their dinner of stew from her hands. 

The bow was extremely long, almost as tall as Kagome, and though it seemed to defy all reason that she should be able to wield something like that Kagome was able to manage it with a light hand. She shot several arrows into a far off tree before she even looked at the bow.

Kagome found it very hard to suppress her glee at the object she now held in her hands. The wolves seemed to signify her demon heart while the roses were the rest of her, beautifully dangerous and a symbol for many things. They also reminded her of a garden she had been to once in her childhood where she had been lost but surrounded by the blossoms. After spending time with them until dark they had seemed to whisper to her the way back to the people who cared about her.

She closed her eyes and traced the carvings on the arrows with her fingers, savoring the smell of the wood and the lingering scent of the being who had created them. The fletching was extremely soft and plush under her fingers. She smiled gently at the feel of the weapon in her hand.

* * *

Ed watched Kagome examine her new weapon. He could tell that she was pleased though her countenance had scarcely changed. The sky was darkening in the late hour and he could see the sun dancing happiness in her eyes as it slowly disappeared over the horizon. 

Suddenly she swung the quiver over her back and unstrung her bow placing the string in her quiver. In an instant she was gone, dashing over the hills toward the spot she had shot at. In only a moment more she was back with the arrows she had tried out.

"Arigato Ed-San. It is a most beautiful bow. You made it just as I had hoped for it to be. Better even than I had thought."

Ed swelled with pride. He had just gotten a very nice compliment from Kagome, the sternest and most critical person he knew.

"Thank you. I enjoyed working on it. I haven't had a challenge like that ever before. I think I quite like the results as well."

"Good, now get your rest. We'll have to be up even earlier tomorrow if we want to get any traveling done before we train. You need to get used to a long workout."

"Alright, but how much earlier are we talking?"

"Two hours at most, we do need our rest as well. I don't suppose that you would be able to mend any arrows that got broken when I shot at you and you broke them while blocking with my sword."

"I should be able to, yes."

"Good. Now go to sleep. You're going to hate me in the morning."

_I doubt it._ Was Ed's initial thought. But he said nothing. That was not the kind of thing that you said to Kagome when you were going to let her shoot you full of arrows the next day.

As he lay down he reveled in the fact that he had been able to get a compliment out of Kagome.

* * *

Ru-Chan:Ohhhhhhhh, emotion.A special door. Gee, I wonder what could be inside. Hehe. Not yet my perky readers. Not quite yet. It's not perfect yet. Review please. Tell me what you think. Remember that the fate of this story is in your hands. 


	17. Paths of Departure

Ru-Chan: 'twitch twitch' I shouldn't be doing this 'twitch twitch' but I can't stop myself! CURSE YOU MY READERS! I hate it when you don't review, but I promised that I would update all my stories by the end of the week! 'sob sob' How could you do this to me! It hurts me in ways you can never understand unless you are a writer and don't have people review when you post your story. My heart aches and my soul is shredded. I have no self confidence as a writer thanks to you!

So here's the next chapter you undeservering readers. And don't forget to check the note at the bottom too. It's important.

* * *

Kagome looked over her shoulder and swung around, pulling back her bowstring. A snapping sound resonated in her oversensitive ears, but she ignored it now. She followed the sound of the grass shifting and turned to her left, twisting into a painful position as she grabbed another arrow out of her quiver and fired again. The bowstring was able to withstand a great amount of stress, and she was very impressed with it.

* * *

Ed knocked an arrow out of the way, trying to hit it in such a way that he could deflect it but not have to make another one later. Bandages all over his face and arms were evidence of previous practices as well as the fact that he could actually block most of the arrows now.

He dodged left, hoping that Kagome would have to take longer to fire and he would have time to catch his breath. But she twisted and he moved a bit too slowly, letting the arrow graze the side of his head. Blood danced across his vision, but he moved again anyway. She had already proved that she would not wait for a little scratch, or a big one for that matter. It was training for her as well, to ignore his pain.

* * *

Kagome flinched slightly as the pain hit her head, but she twisted and followed his movements all the same. In only a few more moments she was out of arrows and so took up a defensive position with her bow.

* * *

Ed saw her stance and dashed over. It was practice for both of them. She had to learn to take up defense with her bow and he needed to learn up close combat. She always won though, so there was hardly any point to it at all.

Ed collapsed onto the grass and dropped the sword at last. Kagome placed the bow's point at his neck. He had wondered why she had wanted it so sharp. They stayed like that for some time, both breathing heavily from the exercise and regaining a bit of strength. Then Kagome pulled back slowly and cautiously.

On any other day, Ed would have picked up the sword and tried to attack her again. But his head was throbbing and he could no longer see straight. He inched away and stood without picking up the weapon.

Kagome bent and retrieved it, sheathed it, and started to walk back to where they had set up a small camp. Ed followed behind, more slowly so as not to trip over any rocks on the way.

As soon as they got back Kagome went over to her supplies and grabbed some more bandages. She went over to Ed who had sat down up against a tree and started pulling off the old bandages.

Ed flinched as the bandages came off his skin. It was not that it really hurt, but he had become overly sensitive of all the grass and air in the area to help him keep up with Kagome. Every time she put a bandage on the ground he could feel it.

"Not as bad today. Look, the one from last week finally disappeared."

Looking down Ed saw that Kagome was right. Normally even the cut on his head would heal by the next morning. But because he had to work out every day he had little energy and he wanted it for scouting, not healing. Bu nature he healed faster than normal, but he actually had to wait to heal now.

"I wonder how long this one will last," he muttered. Kagome shook her head cleaning the newest wound.

"It doesn't seem too deep. Two or three days, maybe. Not as bad as the one on your arm."

Ed had tried a special maneuver and had misjudged the distance, jumping right into Kagome's oncoming arrow. That cut had been deep and he had to be all defensive the next day so that he did not get any more like it.

"I don't think the one on my arm is ever going to be outmatched. Not in practice anyway. In a real fight… I'd be dead in a moment." Kagome seemed to think about this for a moment as she wrapped his head.

"You're better than you think you are. In general, you'll be going up against slower opponents than I. They also won't know about your ability to communicate with the air. They won't know to move as fast as they can to try and beat the wind. And you're good at close combat." She stopped for a moment as if to say something more, than shook her head and tied of the bandage and sat back.

Ed reached to feel the side of his head and felt Kagome's hand slap his own down.

"I'll feel that too, idiot."

"Sorry."

They said nothing for the rest of the evening, but ate and fell asleep, Ed asking the elements to warn them of any danger nearby.

* * *

The darkness that surrounded him made his skin creep, but he kneeled at the feet of the man in front of him without shaking or showing any fear. Kyrl stared at the floor and waited for an answer.

"I will not call back the ones I have sent out, they have their instructions and I am far to busy with other things to focus my attention on them. I will, however, not send anymore out."

"I was instructed to watch them. I believe that you were told to stay out of it."

"By Fate. Butt since when have I ever listened to her. You are not one of mine, not really. But I will hold to my promise under the enforcement."

Kyrl knew that he would get no more out of the man so instead thanked him and made his leave.

He did not trust Chaos. He knew that the man was mad. And he knew that the dangers he controlled, though he promised to send no more out, would likely be the end of one if not both of his charges. Fate had been much more complying.

* * *

Ed stared blankly at the girl in front of him.

"We're not going to practice today?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"I think that's what I just said. We both need to rest every once in a while. It'll give me time to take care of my weapons and for you to rest and recuperate. You do want to be in tip top condition don't you?"

Ed nodded and immediately flopped down onto the grass and rolled over to take a nap. He fell asleep in only a few moments and Kagome pulled out her sword. Despite the fact that Ed had been using it for practice it was not very damaged. She polished it and sharpened it with a whet stone that Ed had got for her in return for lessons, then pulled out her bow and arrows.

The wood, despite being hacked at by a very strong blade had sustained no damage at all. Her arrows were another story. She decided that when Ed woke up he could fix those for her. She did not feel like repairing them at the moment.

She put her weapons away and leaned back up against the tree which she had been working under. The shadows of the braches danced across her as the wind blew them gently back and forth. A bird chirped and the grass rustled gently. The sounds lulled Kagome into a peaceful sleep.

_It was a dream. She knew it. She could tell because her rational mind told her that she was sitting under a tree in a clearing far from this place and time. But that changed nothing of how she felt._

_She was no longer afraid of this dream. It did not haunt her as it had before. But it hurt her, deeply. She could not help but watch._

_There was fire everywhere. The scent of burning flesh stung her nose as she was forced to watch those she cared for most be brutally slaughtered and one burned alive. The screams of horror and pain echoed perfectly in her ears._

_It was all the same. Nothing ever changed. She thrashed at her bonds, trying to reach the bow that was only a taunting foot away. But her captor held her back. She could not get to the bow. She could not save them._

_And then it came. The laughter, the deep, cruel, heartless laughter. The laughter of a person who knows that they have obtained the ultimate victory. And then, all of a sudden, she broke. She knew there was nothing she could do. She hung her head. She could not watch anymore._

_Her rational mind said to stop it. It screamed at her that she was strong now and could break this hold._

_But her heart said it was a dream, a memory. Nothing she could do would change what had happened to her. Tears ran down her cheeks. Nothing would ever change. Nothing would be fixed. And the life she had led after till when she had forgotten was now a lost memory._

_Nothing mattered._

'_A girl with nothing to lose…'_

_She laughed then, with the bitter mockery and irony of it all. It started out as s low chuckle, and grew to a high pitched giggle, and ended as an insane bought of laughter that shook her to the very soul._

_Nothing to lose…but everything to gain._

"_What do you want now? What are you looking for? You have to know this to obtain it."_

_That voice. It was that girl she killed. Why did it make her so angry?_

"_You know that you can do it, right. You can be strong too. I know you can. I believe in you."_

_Another voice. The boy. But she hated him too. Maybe she did not hate him once._

"I won't stand by anymore and watch you get yourself hurt. Not when I can do something about it._"_

_That was Ed, his thoughts. But why. Why do that for her. Why would he think that? How did she know?_

_A bit of string entered her mind. Would they always be connected that way? Could she find him? If it were strong enough, could she feel and know what he thought and felt. Could he feel things from her?_

Kagome woke suddenly and furiously started to wipe at the tears that refused to stop flowing down her cheeks. To her surprise she felt a finger move across her cheek, helping to wipe the tears away. Turning her head she was caught full blast in Ed's powerful gaze. Her heart stopped for a moment. Then she regained her sense of self and turned away in shame.

_What can he think of me? Why do I even care?_

Ed pulled Kagome's head toward him and forced her to look him in the eye.

"You need to stop this. Stop hiding behind your anger and hate. There are people who care about in the world. So stop hurting them."

"You don't understand. I'm fine. Just leave me alone!" She tried to pull away from him but he held onto her tightly. "Why are you being so stupid! No one cares about me, not anymore. If you're thinking about the people in the village, they won't like me anymore, not after everything that's happened, not after everything I've done." Tears were still streaming down her face. Why could she not stop?

"Do you really think that those are the only people who care about you? What about your friends from before? They don't care about you. Is that what you're saying?" Kagome did not respond, but she could not stop crying either. Why did she have to be so weak?

"You still don't understand. No one's going to care once I can leave you on your own. I have no one to go to, no one to see when it's over. You see this," she said, indicating toward the night sky and small wood. "This is all that I have when this is over. Nothing but earth and sky to be my company. Nothing to lose…" her voice trailed off and she looked away from him.

"They don't need to care. And I don't need to leave you behind."

"What are you talking about? I don't need someone who keeps holding me back."

"Really?"

"Of course, stupid!"

"Fine."

Ed stood and started to walk away. Kagome turned in shock.

"What are you doing!"

"You don't need anyone to be a burden, right?"

"You're more of a problem out on your own right now. You're good, but I don't want to have to come and find you when you lose both your arms next time."

"I should think that I would be in less danger if I'm not around you. Your death threats are most likely to be more of a danger than any other opponent I may run into on the way."

Kagome stood up and started walking towards him. Then she stopped and turned away again.

* * *

Ed was done. No matter what he thought, no matter how he felt about her, he was not going to stay here if she did not want him around. He would get over it well enough. He would find someone on his own. He did not need her.

"Fine, then leave. I hope I'll never have to see you again!"

_A childish response_, he thought. But it would not make him turn back around. If she wanted to be belligerent and difficult, fine. She would never have to see him again.

* * *

Kagome stood alone in the clearing, facing the tree she had just been sitting under, not willing to look and see if he had really left or not. But her nose could hardly smell his scent anymore and she knew he was long gone.

Gently and slowly she flexed the fingers on her right hand, then grabbed her face and fell to the ground, weeping silently.

* * *

Ed did not look back, not once. He kept going, never bothering to stop and think about what he was doing. He could feel it when the sadness overtook her, but he would not stop going. If she wanted someone so badly she could find them herself.

He absentmindedly brushed a tear off his own cheek.

* * *

Ru-Chan: This is a final warning. If I do not get my five reviews within two weeks, plenty of time in my book, then I will pull the story. There is just no reason to keep writing if I feel like crap every time I check my stats page and see that no one has bothered to review even though I have dozens more hits. You may think that I look at the hit cout and go, "Oh, people are reading, I'll post again." But anyone can look at chapter one and decide to never read again. The reviewers are the people who really care, and the ones who will influence my story later.

I stopped Nii-Chan, and while part of that was becase I didn't like where it was going, the other part was no one was reviewing anymore. I rermber a time when I got 7 reviews and I was ecstatic. Then, I was reading a story just today that was shorter than Nii-Chan but had over 200 reviews. Talk about a blow to my moral. I'm losing confidence in myself. I feel like crap. And I won't impose my crappy stories on people if they don't want me to. So reveiw, or I'll cut this one too. And it's just getting to the good part.

No more updates until I get my 5 reveiws, and if I don't have them w/in 2 weeks, goodbye story.

I'm serious.


	18. Paths of Darkness

Ru-Chan: Alright, alright. I won't pull it yet. But don't think that I won't if you all stop reviewing because you think the storm has passed. I might not warn you next time. I might just pull it. If you look at the top of hte page you can see info on the story and see that there is a review count. The total right now is 61, and I need 5 to update. If you read this and there aren't 66 reviews, maybe you should do everyone a favor and reveiw. I'll put the start number of reviews at he beginning of every chapter now so those of you who care can see where everything is in comparison to whereI would like it to be. Now R&R please!

Oh, and I should probably warn, this is gonna get kinda nasty. If you don't like bloody images, you might want to skim read. It will get bad, fast. I mean really bad. Like I would start to describe it to you as a warning but that would defeat the point kind of bad.

* * *

Alone.

A single word.

A single thought.

How was it that in just a few moments a world that had only a few hours before seemed so great suddenly felt so… empty. She was stronger than this. She knew it.

Emotion.

It was the ultimate weakness. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she needed him, if only for her sanity. But it was more than that. It was not just his aura.

It was his presence, his determination to be there. How much did he really care about her? Would she ever even know? Did it even matter?

* * *

A little girl wandered helplessly though the woods. She was hopelessly lost. A little ways off she saw a dark shape under a tree. She ran towards, thoughtless in her actions. She saw a young woman with a sword in her right hand help up against her leg which was pulled up to her chest. Her other leg was straight out in front of her.

"Do you know where the village is? Can you help me? I'm lost."

There was no answer from the girl.

"Excuse me! Don't you know it's rude to ignore people, especially when they want your help!"

The head lifted. A once defiant face fell into shock and terror at the sight of two pitch black eyes staring up at her. They seemed devoid of anything.

* * *

It is the ultimate survival tactic. When there is nothing left to live for, but the body refuses to comply with the heart the heart is locked away. The body cannot be stopped. These people are often assumed to be undead, with black eyes andpale skin.But they are the true dead, not really alive anymore, without true thought. Without emotion.

When there is nothing left but action, no true thought, no person can be alive. And Kagome had delved deeper into this than anyone else might ever have been able to. Some people can break the lock. Some only trap pain while others only trap love.

But Kagome was devoid of anything. The lock was so tight, the walls so thick, her soul was as good as dead. An empty shell with a sword and animal instincts.

* * *

The mother ran through the woods, screaming her daughter's name. The girl had disappeared only the night before. She could not have gone anywhere to dangerous. Upon reaching a clearing the woman screamed.

Bits of flesh were spread across trees and blood was everywhere. No piece could be discerned from another. Strings of hair were everywhere in little bits and pieces. The men who had followed the woman all reacted in disgust and anger.

* * *

Kagome walked on. _Nothing to lose._ An ultimate weapon, but no one could control her. Blank face and eyes, still heart, broken dreams. These were what she lived, and died, off of. The path she chose was a good one for anyone else. No one lived on it or traveled it.

* * *

Ed rested against a tree, trying to ignore the pain that was coming from his connection to Kagome. And then, all of a sudden, it vanished. It was like a great metal door had been slammed in his face. He lurched forward and steadied himself.

_Kagome, you idiot. What have you done!_

* * *

A black shape was splayed on the path. A small form of what once might have been a raven. But bits and pieces hardly amount to anything.

* * *

A tree pock marked sheltered a carcass, still oozing with blood. The deer was whole, but not even the carrion would touch it now.

* * *

A gentle drip drip noise sounded in a small clearing. A figure leaned casually against a tree, surrounded by nothing. No smile crossed her lips, no light entered her eyes. She did not move and hardly seemed to be breathing.

And then sunlight broke through the trees and the figure shifted and turned form the clearing, choosing a new path to follow. It was one not so empty.

* * *

Ed thanked the family again and set down the bowl on the floor in front of him. He had been traveling for a few days now and had been welcomed by this family for a time. They had fed him and given him a place to stay the night.

The father, mother, and two of the daughters sat in the small hut with him at the moment. The other two daughters were out playing in the dying sunlight. The two of them reminded him of Rin and Al.

"It really is no problem to keep you here with us. We've been lucky these last few years with weather and land. We have plenty and enjoy helping passersbys. Don't feel the need to try and repay us." the father said.

"Thank you again."

Suddenly one of the daughters burst through the front door, crying, and flung herself at her closest sister, sobbing hysterically into her shoulder. Ed felt ice shoot up his spine.

"Kyra, what's wrong?" her mother asked worriedly.

"I- I o-only left her for a min-minute b-but now…" Kyra buried her face in her sister's shoulder.

"Did something happen to Lyne? What's wrong?" the mother was on the edge of hysterics. Ed stood.

"I think I should leave here now."

"Do you know what happened?" the father asked.

"I can't be sure, but…" he paused, a feeling of uneasiness squirming through him. "I think I may know what happened. I think she may be dead." Kyra started wailing even louder. The father fell back against a wall.

Ed took this as his clue to leave and hurriedly walked out the door. There was only one person he could think would have done anything terrible at the moment and it was his intent to stop her.

* * *

He followed the feeling of death to a clearing and had to brace himself against a tree. No human deserved it, especially not a child. If you could call what was left a child. No dismembered parts strewn over the ground could truly be called a human being at any point in their life.

There was blood everywhere, overpowering even his dull senses. He could feel her nearby, and he wondered if she sensed him, if she even knew who he was. A sudden rush of air rushed passed his face and he had to roll across the ground to avoid being hit.

He crouched and turned but immediately fell sideways to avoid being hit again. He had no weapon in his hand and could hardly catch a glimpse of his opponent's movements. All he could do was try and remember what moves she had used on him while they were training and use it to his advantage.

Maneuvering around he was able to finally grab her arms and look into her face. He was instantly lost in the darkness that consumed her own soul. Every dark thing in his life moved in his eyes like some sort of demented film.

He felt himself being pushed back, but could no longer see what was in front of him. He tried to push the memories back, but failed. His body instantly reached out to the elements around him.

* * *

Grass shot up around Kagome's foot and tripped her. It grabbed her other foot and dragged her across the ground to a tree. Her arm shot back and cut it in half, then started to slice apart the grass. She hit her own leg plenty of times, but while she could smell the blood dripping down her ankle she did not feel the pain.

* * *

Ed reached into his mind for something, anything that would banish these phantom horrors of his past. He found a memory of tall grass and moonlit eyes and soon his vision was clear. He could see Kagome hacking at herself and the grass mercilessly.

But the elements would not respond when he said to her go. They had seen the danger and knew not to trust a person who had nothing left. Branches whipped out and curled around her, dragging her through the forest. Ed ran, following as fast as he could.

She kept hacking braches off, but new ones would grab her. Suddenly she was flying into a cave and Ed jumped forward with a burst of speed. He knew their plan.

* * *

Kagome landed on her feet in the cave and placed her sword in front of her. Ed could feel it go through his shoulder as he tackled her to the ground.

Suddenly the cave fell in and the two of them were trapped beneath it. Ed braced the rocks that were over them with his back and his mind. They were willing to comply, but gravity was not feeling to kind.

Kagome ripped her sword out. She did not want this person being so close to her with his arms around her. She did not want to be saved. Viciously she slashed out.

* * *

Ed could feel the blade hacking at his chest and arms. He could feel the blood trickling down and could see it land on her face and neck. But he still held up the stone.

* * *

She kept on slashing. He was not supposed to save her. She cut deeper, leaning toward him, trying to make him stop. She lunged forward and bit into his shoulder as she kept slashing at his chest.

* * *

Ed flinched as he felt her teeth sink into his shoulder but he did not let the ceiling go. And them it occurred to him. They were surrounded by shadows.

He fell onto her, wrapping his arms around her and ignored the pain on the side of his chest and down his thigh and leg. He just held on and fell into the darkness.

* * *

They were suspended in darkness, but she could not see him or feel him anymore. She pulled her sword back and held it flat side against her chest, waiting for something to happen. She clenched her teeth down a little further on the empty air she felt.

* * *

Ed winced as he felt her teeth sink deeper, but did not let her go. He tried to think of a place where they could go safely when a memory of the place where the path had been crossed his mind. He found a shadow there and fell to it.

* * *

Kagome's senses were suddenly filled and she could taste the blood flowing into her mouth, smell his sweat and feel his blood drenched clothes. She let go of him with her teeth and pulled her legs up and pushed out, kicking him into a nearby tree.

* * *

Ed scrambled up as quickly as he could, nearly falling as pain shot up his left leg. Ducked just in time to miss having his head pinned to the tree. He jumped forward and tackled Kagome to the ground. She brought her sword up in a side swipe and he turned, but she used this to flip him over, pinning him to the ground.

Ed fell into the earth and popped up behind her. She had not expected this and so was not ready as he rammed his fist into the back of her skull. She went flying into a nearby tree head first, flew through it and skidded on the ground.

As she looked up, Ed was above her in the air, ready to put his fist where her face was. She rolled and kicked back and around at the same time.

Ed saw her movement and instead of hitting the ground summoned winds beneath him to stop him. She got caught up in one of them and went flying. She grabbed a tree branch as she back flipped towards it, but the moment she touched it, it grabbed her and held her arm fast. As she tried to cut it with her other hand another branch shot out and grabbed her other arm.

Ed walked over to the tree and grabbed Kagome's legs, pulling her down and hanging her by her arms. She kicked out at him, but dirt jumped out and coiled around her legs, holding her back.

"What the heck do you think you're doing! This isn't a game, and I'm not playing anymore. I don't have any problems killing you!"

A series of snarls were his only reply. Kagome bared her teeth and snapped at him, showing the thick layer of blood on her canines and tongue. He drew back in surprise, then remembered her eyes.

Glancing at them sideways he could see that they were pitch black still. He swallowed, and then made a choice. He turned around and started to walk away.

* * *

Kagome could see the insignificant being walking away and she knew that she had to stop him. He had shamed her and left her here like this. With a burst of strength she kicked away the dirt beneath her and yanked her arms forward.

* * *

Ed felt an immense piece of rock hit him on the back of the head and he stumbled forward. Something else crashed into him and he went sprawling. Suddenly he was looking back into the black eyes and he was falling.

* * *

Kagome drew her sword back and aimed its tip at his throat.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Sorry if this one was kinda bloody. I was having a bad week when I wrote it. And I really needed to portray Kagome's state of mind. She has no idea what she's doing. It'll get better, but not before it gets worse.

Hey, sorry for threatening you all and everything, but I really am feeling bad about writing. Thank you to all those of you who did reveiw the last chapter, and thank you for your support. It made me feel better,at least a little.


	19. Paths of Light

Ru-Chan: Okays, I would like to say sorry for scaring some of you. I put the warning there for a reason, but I think I scared people anyway. This chpater won't be quite as bad. Some of you may even like how it ends. R&R please! Same reviewing rules apply as last time. Current reviews are at 66, so I need 71 for an update.

* * *

The sword was thrust forward, but stopped, just barely piercing the flesh at the base of his neck. Ed stopped breathing for a moment. Everything was frozen.

Kagome held the sword point perfectly still. She did not know why she had just stopped, she should be killing him. But she knew she owed him one last chance.

She got off and grabbed him by his collar, shoving him backwards. Ed stumbled a bit, then balanced out. But she could tell that he was not in the same world she was. He was trapped in his own mind. She did not care. She was only obligated to give himone chance. He obviously would not be able to take it.

She charged.

* * *

Ed fought the darkness that surrounded him. It was cold and empty, trying to strangle his senses. He wondered vaguely why he was still alive, he knew that she had him pinned. But his subconscious told him that he was standing. 

He reached for that memory once more, the one of her eyes and was able to regain his sight soon enough to see her blade coming towards him. He turned quickly, but felt the tip of steel bite into his side. He stumbled backwards and took a defensive stance.

* * *

Kagome spun around flung her blade to her right. It missed gutting the boy by a mere inch. He stood his ground, eyes never moving off her. She charged again, moving her sword in a vertical swing. It stuck in the dirt where Ed had been only a moment before.

* * *

Ed jumped to the side and used the spilt second she had to pull her sword out of the dirt to jump backwards into a tree. He melted into the shadows under the branches and disappeared from her senses.

* * *

Kagome twisted back and forth, searching for his scent, but could not find it. Her senses opened wider and she kept on twisting, turning to place his position. But nothing she did seemed to get him in her sight.

* * *

Ed watched her from the shadow at her feet. He knew that leaving his sanctuary would mean almost certain death. But he did not have the energy to stay here very much longer. He rested for a moment more, trying to regain some of his physical strength, and then jumped out as she turned to look straight ahead.

* * *

Kagome suddenly smelt him right behind her, but too late. She went flying forwards, hitting her head on a tree and rolling to the ground. In an instant she was back on her feet, staring him down.

* * *

Ed gasped for breath. The last exertion had taken everything from him and he had nothing left to fight with. His mind was racing and he had no where to turn. If he used anymore energy he would not be able to survive this, but he did not have enough left to escape.

* * *

Kagome charged and leapt, bringing her blade down in a fast and powerful swing. Ed swerved to the side and was thrown 50 yards by the shockwave that emanated from the ground. The winds rushed to his aid and he only ended up flying through two trees before crashing into a third and leaving an indentation several inches deep in the wood. He slumped down against the trunk, too tired to move. 

Kagome charged again, ready for the kill, but the branches of the tree bent down and wrapped the boy in a protective cocoon. She snarled and hacked at the branches, trying to reach him. But they kept on growing and surrounding him.

* * *

Ed saw the branches surrounding him as she practically flew towards him, face impassive as before. But then his senses clouded and he could no longer see clearly, the edges of his vision had gone fuzzy. Despite his best efforts he blacked out.

* * *

Kagome leaned back against a tree, breathing heavily. She had been attacking the tree with the boy inside and was now starting to feel the dangerous edges of exhaustion. Her mind was black, knowing nothing but that she needed to destroy what was inside that chrysalis of wood and dirt from the roots.

* * *

Inside this shield Ed slowly drew from the earth. His body managed to heal most of the random cuts and scratches he had gained, but the bite on his shoulder would not close. Eventually his eyes blinked open and he regained a sense of his surroundings. A day had passed, he could tell.

* * *

As Kagome stared at the roots, they began to move. She slowed her breathing and watched anxiously as the figure emerged from within. The moonlight struck his hair and eyes, making her exceptional vision dance for a moment till she held up her hand to block the light.

* * *

Ed turned and saw her, leaning up against a tree, emotionless still. He had not regained all of his strength, but he could fight her now. He noticed that she had weakened, most likely from trying to break through. He could fight her now, no matter how much it pained him.

* * *

This was not a fight that she would be able to win. Her strength had faltered and she had no where to turn to for more energy. While he had rested she had exhausted her only resource, herself. With no friends and nowhere to turn she had already lost this fight. 

But she was not about to give up.

A crack sounded throughout the clearing as Kagome's back slammed into a tree. Instantly, the bark peeled away and started to wrap itself around her. She twisted and turned, struggling to get free, but her sword lay on the ground on the other side of the clearing. Nothing she did stopped the tree.

Ed walked over to her slowly. His eyes were slightly darkened, as if all of this disgusted him. He was getting closer, but she could not escape. She felt something, and was surprised that she could feel it at all. She felt as though she was a trapped animal, which was what he was looking at her like.

Just a trapped animal.

* * *

Ed was willing to kill her, she had given up her sanity. She had given up everything human. He was ready to get rid of this monstrosity. 

But he would much rather leave her alive. And there was still one more thing he could do.

_Kagome…_ he whispered to her mind. _Kagome…_

_Get out of my head!_ Her voice was empty, void of any feeling. Her head was no longer connected to her heart, so no emotion showed through.

_Kagome, you need to stop this. You aren't alone anymore!_

_I don't care, I don't care about anything. You know this. That is why you are here. You are ready to kill me._

_You don't have to be alone anymore. I'm right here, beside you, in your head even. I'm right here._

_You think that you can simply fix something like this don't you. You are wrong. You can do no such thing. This heart is gone now. You have no choice but to destroy this flesh as well._

_There has to be a way…_

_There is nothing left boy. Take your leave of my mind._

Ed retreated back into his own skin and looked deep into the eyes in front of him. He could fight their spell now, but only just.

He missed her old eyes, the dangerous ones. The eyes that held so much life, so much emotion. He did not want her to die with these eyes. But there was little he could about it.

* * *

She saw him step forward once more and felt his hands grab her where her head met her neck and considered that he did not want her to feel pain in her death. If she could have been, she would have been amused at how some would think that this method was inhumane, but she did not care. 

She waited for the wrench and the snap.

It never came.

* * *

A cloud moved from in front of the moon that shown high in the sky. The light hit the two of them as Ed leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers. 

Kagome's eyes went wide. It was as though the moonlight was suddenly soaked up into them. The walls around her heart crumbled and fell into little pieces.

Ed let the bark around the tree release her and caught her as she fell forward into his arms. He pulled his mouth back and looked down at her, pulling her closer. She looked up at him with those eyes that he loved and he smiled.

* * *

Kagome blinked and looked up. Those golden colored eyes that looked down at her with so much happiness. She felt as though she could melt. 

She was not alone anymore.

He bent down and kissed her again and she felt her self falling into pure bliss. The moment lasted an eternity in her mind before he pulled away again. She had never felt like this before in her life.

She buried her face into his chest and then she smelt it. Euphoria had dimmed her senses for a moment, but now she could clearly smell it.

Blood.

She pulled back from him suddenly and looked him over before tears started to spill out of her eyes. Ed blinked in surprise and then understanding dawned on him.

"Oh, no…" he whispered pulling her close. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let her go. "No, no it's okay, it's okay. I'm alright!"

"I hurt you… I hut lots of people. I killed them. I killed things. I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have!" she sobbed.

"It's going to be okay now, don't cry," he tried to comfort her, but she would not hear it.

"I was so horrible. How could I have done that?"

"Nothing can change the past. But it's going to be okay now. You're better now. It's going to be okay," but she would not stop crying. "I'm not going to stop loving you because you did this. I'm not mad at you. I'm worried about you. Please stop crying."

Kagome buried her face into his chest once more and tried to calm down, but the smell of blood would not fade.

"I bit you!"

"I know, I know. But it's going to be okay now. We'll be fine…" he stroked her hair gently and held her closer, willing her to understand. "We'll be fine…"

* * *

Glowing daylight filtered through the trees and rested on two figures, both sitting cross legged on the ground. Kagome was wrapping the last bandage around Ed's shoulder. 

The trauma of last nights events had worn off and she had managed to come to terms with what happened. She was still upset with everything, but accepted that she had to keep moving on.

"That ought to do it," she said tying off the bandage.

"Thank you."

The air became warmer and the light became stronger. Kagome pushed her hair out of her face and looked over at Ed who was finishing putting his shirt on. It was in tatters from all that she had done to it, but he did not seem to mind at the moment.

"What will we do now?" she asked.

"Tomorrow we'll have to start my training back up again. We'll keep going, looking for someone to teach me. Then at least we have direction."

"But, we don't have to find you a teacher really. The whole point of that was for me to get rid of you and…" she was still coming to terms with her emotions.

"We can both study. You're good, but maybe this will be different then the style you use. And we need to go somewhere, have some purpose. Otherwise why bother to survive. I have no intention of dying yet."

"You're right," she replied, smiling lightly. "I want to live this new life I've found."

"I have no objections," Ed smiled as he leaned over and kissed her. "But for today we should both rest. Neither of us slept last night."

"Fine, but I call that tree all the way over there."

"I'm not going to even discuss this one. I'll stay right here."

"Good boy."

Kagome stood and walked to the other side of the small clearing. Ed leaned back against the tree he was in front of and closed his eyes. Soon he fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Ru-Chan: Understand and understand this now. Some people may think the end of the last conversation is strange or unnecessary. I am not one of them. You will not see these two "together" like that in this fic. Do not forget that. In fact, things like that will not be in ny of my fics really. If you think I am wrong and would like to point out places where I have done that I will personally prove you wrong. Blood is okay in my book. But I draw lines around certain kinds of romance and please don't forget that.

Joe: Hey, so now you all can clicky the little button and review. Remember, the littlenumber at the top needs to say 71, but more are always appreciated.

Ru-Chan: Yeah, and I was thinking of starting to do shout outs so that everyone who reads the story knows that you cared enough to review. But I don't know. I have to get reveiws and see!

Bob: If you finished Nii-Chan and didn't review you made us very sad. We only got three for the last chapter. Doesn't look like we'll be doing an epilogue after all. But if you get over there and review right now she might be nice enough to tell you what the heck the war is about, and if Kagome actually gets together with anyone. You know you want to.

Ru-Chan: Alright, stop harrassing my readers. They'll do it if they want to.

Bob: Or if they care about your feelings...

Ru-Chan: You wanna wear a pink shirt or not.

Bob: NOOOOOOOO! I'll stop, I'll stop.

Joe: To simplify, please review!


	20. Paths of Destiny

SHOUT OUTS (I said I might try them):

**The Amazing Sakumachan** - Well, I am glad that you liked it better than the last one. I had actually intended to put the second to last bit in the other chapter, but the kiss just wasn't turning out the way I wanted it to. Heh heh, actually, my very first plan was to have the kiss in chapter 17. But that really didn't work out well at all. I had no intention of writing the last two chapters at all at first. But then I had a bad week and I couldn't get the romantic scene to work out right. So I turned it ugly. I need to monitor my temper better.

**elliana **- Thanks for reading so far. You won't hit this shout out for a while to come, but maybe you're a very fast reader, but hey, thanks for reading to chapter five!

**sesshomaru828 **- Glad you like that Kagome is back to normal! And yes, Ed has kissed her. Sorry it took so long. See first shout out for reasons why (or did I already tell you...)

**Ed love Kagome **- I'm very glad you liked it. Here's your update. Sorry it took so long.

**Suuki-Adrea **- Sorry for the long wait to the update! Here it is at last.

**Catbuddy - **Yes, you were the 72 reviewer, and I eneded up with 75 cause I waited so long to update. Oops!

**neko-cat-kirara **- NO! That was nost definately not the last chapter. For one thing, it had a happy ending. For a second thing, it ended in a relationship cliffhanger. I do evil cliff hangers where people know nothing of the new plot, but romances are followed through if they are introduced.

**Yazi-san **- I'm glad you think it's odd. I like to add a splash of origionallity to the banality of most crossovers and pairings. People tend to start writing a particular style and other people like it so they copy it. I like to stand out in the crowd. (pleased note the crowd is wearing pink and I am in blood red and black. No, sesshomaru828, you are not in this crowd). I am not removing story. Happy now? Glad you like the pairing. Have you checked out I'll be There? That's my other Ed/Kags pairing.

**Gizmo369 **- Hey, nice short story. If you other people out there are Inu/Kag fans read her oneshot. Very good. I am very glad that I have managed to "wow" you. I live to serve and please. And hey, whatever's up, I hope everything works out and you are pleased with life again. Being angry at life sucks, take it from me. I have a very pessimistic view on humanity. It does me little good in making friends.

Ru-Chan: Alright, Shout Outs round one is complete! Thank you to all you cool people who are reviewing me. I love to see that little number go up. Right not it is at 75, so 80 for new chap. I haven't written it yet, so please be patient with me. Things are about to get confusing.

Bob: But she's back! So R&R please!

* * *

Kagome brought her bow up and fired again. Ed dodged behind a tree and used the cover of the woods to get behind her while not being in view of her weapon. But she turned at the last second and he had to dodge behind a tree again instead of attacking her head on.

A few more minutes of this passed before Kagome lowered her bow. Ed peeked out from behind his new tree to see if she actually meant it or if she was trying to get him to come out into the open.

"Alright, get out here. I'm not going to shoot at you right now."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Alright, I'm coming out."

Ed came slowly out from out behind the tree. He was still unsure of her intentions in this. She rolled her eyes at him and put the bow down on the ground before crossing her arms. He laughed and walked over.

"Well, what is it?"

"I think that's good for practice today. You're getting better you know," she said picking up her bow and unstringing it. She turned and beckoned with her head for him to follow.

Ed caught up with her and grabbed her hand, placing her sword in it and making her head turn. He caught her in a quick kiss before letting her put the sword away.

* * *

The two of them walked on for some time. Neither of them said anything but they didn't really need to anymore. The link between their minds had become exceptionally strong since Ed had brought her back from her own darkness.

_So, where do you think we'll end up next?_

_In an open field I hope. I hate having to dodge behind trees from protection. In order to keep up with you I have to connect with everything. But that means I feel the trees pain as well._

_You could have told me earlier stupid. I would have tried to do some thing._

_Like what? I need to be pushed to my limits._

_I didn't mean I would stop aiming at you. But I could fire in a way that would let the arrow miss the tree and hit the ground without sticking into it. Then you wouldn't hurt and I could practice my shooting more._

_Well…_

_Oh stop that, you know it would work._

_Yeah, it would. But no one else is going to not be aiming at the grass and stuff._

_No, but their weapons weren't made by you which means they wouldn't be as sharp, so it won't hurt just as much. Unless blunt ones hurt more…_

_No, that might work._

_Good._

_But I've been thinking._

_What?_

_I still need a sword of my own. It might be bad if I get too used to using yours._

_We'll think of something. Hey, why don't you make a sword like you made me a bow?_

Ed shook his head and pointed at the bow.

_You knew what you needed in a bow. You made all of that in your mind. I just made it real. I don't know anything other than your sword and that might not be the best thing for me. I wouldn't know how to make one of my own._

_Oh._

* * *

Kyrl watched the two walk on and growled deep in his throat. Under any other circumstances he would have been ecstatic over the fact that the two of them had become so close.

But Chaos had sent out Thanatost as his last warrior, and Kyrl knew that despite the strength of both his charges, they would not come out of this one unscathed as they had the other ones.

He cursed Chaos, of course he wouldn't send out any more warriors. He didn't need to.

A hand was placed gently on Kyrl's shoulder and he turned around to see Xiyothēth standing behind him. She was similar to him in many ways, with long silver hair and a distinctly wolfish nature around her.

But her eyes were not silver as Kyrl's were. Hers were a bright red, and she did not carry a sword, but fastened to her waist instead was a long whip.

Both of them were dressed in long pants and a long sleeved shirt that were grey in color. It matched their current surroundings which were a grey scale version of an average earth field. They were by a pond which Kyrl was looking into as he sat longwise against its banks while Xiyothēth stood behind him.

In the water the two could see the other couple that Kyrl had been watching.

"I take it things aren't going to well for you," she said kindly. Kyrl shook his head.

"Chaos sent Thanatost after them. I can't do anything about it. I was supposed to give her the sword and watch the two of them after that. I did more than I should have by going to see Fate and Chaos."

"But you want this one to go right, am I correct?"

"Yes. I let Destiny down the last time I tried to place the sword. The owner was overpowered by its demonic nature and dissipated eventually. I still regret that choice."

"Why did you choose Kagome?"

"She had the Jewel. The sword and the Jewel belong together really. The sword was made to protect the Jewel. If Kagome had the Jewel I knew that she would need the sword."

"What will happen when she dies?"

"The sword will have to be led to the next person who is to protect the Jewel."

"The boy?"

"Maybe. It all depends on who survives the longest. Right now I'm looking for the next most likely candidate."

"A little early isn't it. They'll both live very long lives, being what they are. Part demon and part elemental. Full ones live for ages, but even half ones like them should stand a test of time."

"Kagome's technically all human you know. And it doesn't matter, Thanatost is after them."

"She's not human since she grabbed the sword. Her heritage is all human, her body is part demon."

"Demon miko. That just sounds weird."

"It is all your fault."

"Please don't. I don't need that right now," Kyrl said, pulling one of his legs up to his face and resting his chin on it. Xiyothēth's eyes softened and she sat down behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest. He held her hands and watched the two walking through the woods.

"I am glad that you two can manage to be so sentimental while on duty," a voice said behind them. It was slightly accusing but not unkind.

The two of them broke apart and turned bowing on one knee with their right fist pressed into the ground in front of them.

"Oh stop that and stand," the voice commanded. They stood and looked into the face in front of them.

A girl who looked to be 17 or 18 stood in front of them. She had grey hair with silver streaks running through it that reached just below her shoulders, giving the illusion of much longer hair. Her eyes were a deep grey and her long Greek styled dress was a pale grey. She was smiling.

"My lady, forgive us. We were not aware that you were around," Kyrl said.

"You have no need to apologize to me. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I am sorry for interrupting you, you were doing nothing wrong. But I am afraid I am becoming a bit too much like my sister."

"Not at all my lady," Xiyothēth said. Both were standing straight and firm. The girl laughed.

"Relax you two. I may be Destiny, but I know how boring and tedious it is to stand like that all the time. I hate it when my sister makes me do it, and so I refuse to make you do so." The two of them relaxed a bit.

"I recently visited Fate. She seems to be in a strange mood. Have you gone to visit her recently?" Kyrl asked.

"No, I haven't seen my sister in ages. I wonder what she's up to." Destiny looked away for a moment seeming to think then suddenly turned back serious.

"My lady?" Kyrl asked.

"Chaos sent out Thanatost if I heard right."

"Yes."

"And he's after your charge, right."

"I believe so, yes."

"I want you off of this case. I'm going to have to step in myself. This isn't going as planned at all."

"I think we should let it go for now my lady," Kyrl said. Destiny looked at him in surprise as well as Xiyothēth.

"We should let it go?"

"I think that whatever happens next Chaos won't get the sword. A few minutes ago I was worried because of how close my charges had become and how Thanatost was coming. But now I think that because of this they may have a chance. The boy is an elemental with shadow abilities and he can Death Walk. I think we should see what happens."

Destiny seemed to think this over for a few moments before she spoke.

"Can I trust you Kyrl?"

"I beg your pardon my lady."

"Can I trust you to now what you're doing and to do what is best?"

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"Yes, you can trust me on this."

"I'm glad that I can trust you Kyrl, there aren't many people that I think I could trust with this. Thank you. I think I will listen to your advice for now and allow you to stay in charge. Things may turn out for the better."

"Thank you my lady."

* * *

Kagome stopped suddenly and looked into the trees. Her eyes narrowed and Ed raised an eyebrow in question, but she held up her hand to silence any vocal ones. He frowned.

Slowly she lowered her hand and beckoned him forward with her head. He followed and waited for an explanation. What he got was a disturbing question.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Kagome asked suddenly.

"Is that a trick question?"

"No, I'm serious. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"I think you do crazy things sometimes, but I would believe you if you stated something out of the ordinary."

"So if I told you I think that we're being watched by a person but I have no idea who it is and I don't think that they're a threat and possibly they're watching from somewhere else you would believe me."

"Yes, I believe you. Why shouldn't I? Someone's been hunting us and I don't notice them until they arrive. They aren't even in the shadows. Someone's watching us alright."

"But I don't think this person wants to hurt us."

"Can I ask what makes you think this?"

"I think I've met one of them before."

"There's more than one?"

"I think so. I think there were three, and then one of them left."

"How did you meet the one that you think you know?"

"If he's the person I think he is I think that I met him when I got this sword. He's the one who gave it to me, only he didn't give it to me exactly. Except that he did."

"Now you're just confusing me."

"He let me take it when I defeated him."

"Oh, okay. I get that. But why would he and some other people be watching you right now?"

"I don't have any idea. But it worries me."

"That they're watching you."

"That I can see them."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I'm just not sure that most people are supposed to be able to see them. I think that it may have to do with the fact that I'm part miko and part demon."

"You get special powers unique to… yourself?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure. I think what really bothers me is that I can look up and see someone watching until I try to see it. Then it vanishes."

* * *

Joe: Break off in the middle of a conversation. I think she got lazy. Ru wanted food so she told us to finish up. Bob is mumbling things about pink so I think that I will finish by myself.

Bob: ...won't wear it...no stupid pink...hisss...

Joe: Ahem, yes, so 75 for an update and she's sorry if it takes a while. She has been busy and things are not good, so please be patient with her. She will ty to update soon.


	21. Paths to the End

Ru-Chan: I'm back for real this time. I decided to use my writers block to my advantage and write something that would not confuse my readers so much. You might want to read the previous chapter again to make sure you remember it. You might get lost if you don't. I'm going to do the Shout Outs at the end of the chapter. This is the LAST CHAPTER! Just so you're not confused.

* * *

"Maybe you shouldn't worry about it vanishing," Ed commented. "Maybe you should just let it go. If you don't think that you are supposed to see it and it doesn't feel malicious then maybe we should just let it come as it is." 

"Maybe you're right…" Kagome sighed wistfully, looking back up into the trees, the last bits of what she had just seen drifting into the back of her memory.

* * *

Kyrl breathed a heavy sigh of relief and looked back over his shoulder to see Destiny's retreating back. He had wondered if Kagome's transformation had allowed her to see what others could not and should not. 

But if Destiny had no objection to what she had just heard then Kyrl was in no danger. Xiyothēth looked back as well, then turned back to Kyrl.

"Do you think that it will be alright? Only a few moments before she appeared you were worried very much about how close they had become. Are you sure? Or are you afraid of the penalties of failure?"

"There are no real penalties of failure here."

"I mean the unspoken ones. The ones that everyone is afraid of. The ones that you know and so do I."

"I was before she came. But then I realized it would be a failure to give up on them right now. I can do this. I know I can. I know that they can."

"And if the girl dies?"

"He won't let her."

"But we both know what will happen if he dies instead. That would be worse."

"She won't let him die."

"If they're both dead it won't matter."

Kyrl glared at her and frowned deeply.

"I thought that you had faith in me."

"Oh Kyrl, I swear that I do. I just don't want anything to happen to you when things go wrong."

"_When_ things go wrong. I thought you just said you have faith in me. Things won't go wrong, I can do this."

"I know," she whispered, putting her arms around him once more as he turned back to the lake. "I know. You can do this." _The only question is can I do it too._ Xiyothēth thought woefully.

* * *

Kagome looked up one more time, then decided that unless whoever was decided to attack her, she would spend her time better trying to find any threat that was actually on the road. 

Ed noticed Kagome's discomfort and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in a reassuring manner. She looked at him and smiled her thanks. He enjoyed her smiles and the message behind them. He could tell she was happy now and the fact that it was him being there with her that made her happy made him happy as well.

Suddenly something dawned on him.

"I wonder if Al and Winry and Sesshomaru and Rin made it back to Central or Risenbul. I hope that they're okay where ever they are. Do you think that whatever is coming after us went after them too?"

"I'm sure that they're alright. Your brother is strong and so is Sesshomaru. Doubtless they've made sure that Rin and Winry are alright. Besides, I think that whatever is after us is only after us. They should be fine."

"I hope so."

"So do I."

A gentle breeze drifted through the trees and Ed frowned slightly. Kagome looked over nervously, questioning what was wrong.

"Something's out there. I'm not sure what it is or if it's friendly, but knowing our luck I say that we should be prepared."

Kagome nodded and strung her bow. Ed clapped his hands together and pulled a staff out of the dirt. Kagome raised her eyebrow at this.

"I thought you couldn't make your own weapon."

"I can't. I've just had experience with staffs and such. Dang it, why do you analyze everything?"

Kagome merely smiled wryly in reply and started to move forward using the trees as cover. Ed shook his head and eased into the ground, following along a little in front of Kagome.

* * *

The two of them moved forward slowly, trying to attract as little attention as was possible. This proved to be very difficult, but each of them managed to make it a good distance before they stopped short. 

_That guy does not look safe, Kagome._

_You don't need to tell me that. I knew that already. Now tell me something that I don't know._

_I think that we're in trouble._

_I knew that too._

_I have a tendency to yell at people when they call me short._

_What does that have to do with anything?_

_You wanted me to tell you something that you didn't know._

_Baka._

A voice rang through the clearing where the man was standing.

"I know that you are out there. You might as well come out and fight. It will do you no good to hide from me. I can see you, in a sense, just as you can feel one another. Your efforts are in vain."

Kagome and Ed froze.

* * *

Kyrl tensed and Xiyothēth held him back tighter. 

"They can't have run into him already!" he shouted, pulling against her. "He can't! They were to well hidden by the passage of Fate through the area as she took all the souls that Kagome killed. Death is riddled there too! He can't have found them!"

"Kyrl, calm down please!" Xiyothēth wheezed, still trying to hold him back.

"There is no trace of Destiny in the area, I know, I looked. Twice even! I couldn't let him find them yet. They're not strong enough yet!"

Xiyothēth pulled tighter and threw herself backwards, yanking Kyrl from the edges of the water and away from his chance to ruin everything that had been set up.

"Kyrl, you idiot, there's a reason Destiny came to get involved. You weren't told about it, but I was. Now please calm down so I can tell you," she pleaded, holding him to the ground, looking down at him.

He stopped moving and looked up at her in astonishment, then realized the hidden meaning of her message and looked away. She let him go and sat back as he sat up, still not looking at her.

"So it was you."

"I didn't tell him anything directly, but Fate and Destiny came to me and told me to send one of my hero's that was about to die anyway to tell him because…" here she stopped, throat clenching and mouth dry. "Because the last time you messed up you really ruined it for yourself, and Fate has always had power over her sister, you know that. Fate wanted you out and Destiny couldn't stop her. She wanted you out of this case because even Fate won't risk her sister. She would have appealed to Chaos."

"Why?"

"Fate wants you out, she's that mad. And Destiny doesn't want to have to have someone fill your shoes. Fate can't kick you out and she knows her sister won't so she wants to make it so bad you'll leave, just like Lyrs."

"So you did what you were told."

"I have to Kyrl. Unlike you I have a reputation that I can't afford to lose. If I screw up on something Lyrs' sister will take my place and I have some projects in the work that are important. You know she'll screw them up and say it was me and then I'll get put through the same thing, only I can't leave because I have no where to go when it's all over."

"We made a mistake coming here, didn't we?"

"I think our mistake was thinking we could lead a normal life here."

"We didn't know each other then. We didn't think we would find someone who would change us. We were so blissfully ignorant. Except for you of course."

Xiyothēth shook her head.

"I had no idea what to expect from this place. When I was told I would be working for Destiny, I was shocked. I had lost my family and home. I came here and I found a job and you. I miss the innocence, but I would not give up what I gained for the world." She looked away ashamed of what she just said. She had betrayed him in her own way, hadn't she?

Kyrl looked at her and his face softened. He reached out and touched her hand gently, making her look up.

"I would not give up all that I have gained as well. And I am not above forgiving what cannot be helped. Destiny herself has forgiven me, and I would be a fool if I could not do the same."

"I hardly did anything like you did."

Kyrl placed his hand behind her head and kissed her gently.

"I need a friend right now before my life is about to fall to shambles. I'm not going to give up on you." Xiyothēth smiled lightly.

"I think we should check on your charges." She said quietly. Kyrl nodded and they moved to the edge of the water to look down.

* * *

Ed managed to catch the stranger's sword on his own poorly constructed one. It snapped and he jumped back to avoid the full force of the blade. Kagome had been knocked out after flying headfirst into a rock. 

The rock had done little. It was the kick to her head that had done most of the damage.

The problem was this man was just _so_ fast. He never seemed to stay in the same place for very long and kept trying to get around Ed's guard to Kagome. Ed was slowing down. He had never been so exhausted in his life.

He made another sword as quickly as he could and caught a strike to his side, wincing under the stare of the strange man. The dark eyes made Ed feel as he had when Kagome had lost it only a week or so before.

Thoughts of darkness kept plaguing him, making him slow down even more. He forced himself to fight, but could hardly stand any longer.

* * *

Kagome forced herself back into alertness, even though her senses screamed at her. Her head had already formed a large lump on the side and she wondered if Ed would still be standing. The clashing of swords told her he was.

* * *

Ed's vision was going fuzzy. He had put to much effort into healing himself from Kagome's blow to the head. He had to let up to keep up with the being. But he could not longer see very well and missed a bow to his side and went flying. 

He had been caught with the flat of the blade which was to the only reason he was in one piece as he hit and tree.

* * *

Kagome sat up and gasped in anguish as she clutched her side and head. Her vision went black long enough for her to miss the first cut to her side as she blinked in fury. She brought her sword up immediately in a side sweep with no intent to actually hit anything. 

A force hit her back and snapped her arm back, nearly dislocating her shoulder. Over by the tree she heard Ed gasp in pain. She flinched as she straightened her shoulder out and watched her enemy carefully.

Making sure she stiffened her neck to that her head would not move around too much, she sidled around the rock and in front of the being, placing herself in his way so that he could not attack Ed.

Her grip on her sword slipped and it fell through her fingers with her only just managing to catch it in time. Her grip settled on the Shikon Jewel and the ache in her head instantly let up a bit.

Kagome let a small smile grace her lips as she closed her eyes and summoned strength from the object, letting its power clear her senses. She opened her eyes again and the seemed to glow almost with moonlight.

* * *

Ed felt the tension on his head ease up and he looked over to Kagome who was clutching her sword by the end of the hilt which was glowing. Understanding dawned on him and he used the time to put a little more effort into making a sword that would last more than a few moments, then ran to help her.

* * *

Kagome felt Ed move in behind her and side stepped to let him forward. They stood side by side, weapons raised and ready for anything. 

The strange being only lowered his sword and laughed.

"So you think that the two of you are really a match for me?" he asked mockingly. His sword disappeared from his hand and he began to radiate an absence of light. Kagome and Ed both backed away.

Something told them that it would be a very bad thing if he touched them right then.

He ran at Kagome who brought her sword up to meet his hand. He caught her sword, but flinched as he touched it. The blade glowed a brilliant white and he yanked his hand back hissing.

Then he smiled and charged at Ed instead who raised his sword in what he was quite sure was a futile attempt.

Kagome's sword caught his own and the being's hand. Some of the light shifted from her own blade onto Ed's, making markings down the blade. When the thing backed off and she pulled her blade away the white markings settled into Ed's sword and left it glowing faintly.

The being frowned, then though for a moment and smiled broadly.

"I would be willing to bet that you have absolutely no idea who I am," he said, his voice chilly and almost oily. "Since it is most rude and unbefitting of masters to not tell who they are and let their name be known in death, I will tell you. I am the one known as Thanatost. It is nice to meet you both. And now it will be m pleasure to kill at the very least, one of you."

Kagome raised her sword protectively in front of Ed and growled deep in her throat. If either of them were to die that day it would not be him, not while she had breath. Ed stepped forward and pushed her sword aside gently, not wanting her to be put in danger for his sake.

Thanatost smiled, thinking that it would be much easier if neither wanted the other hurt. It would be easy to discard of the one with the more forceful conviction.

"You really think that we can't beat you, don't you Thanatost?" Kagome asked mockingly.

"You honestly believe that we can't win?" Ed added. They both had no confidence, but it was much better to at least try. In that they had great confidence.

Thanatost charged them and they stepped apart. He kicked out at Kagome, who blocked it with her sword, but was thrown back a foot or so. He then struck out at Ed, who leaned back and brought his sword up to take of the other's foot.

Thanatost pulled back and paused, then charged at Ed again. He worked in a series of fast movements that Ed managed to block, but kept Kagome always at her ally's back. She became frustrated and took to the air in an attempt to get behind the servant of Chaos. But he shifted back, and reached up to grab her.

* * *

Ed, who had stumbled back, threw a fistful of wind at her feet, carrying her beyond Thanatost's reach and behind him. She twisted and lunged with her sword, only to have him catch it before shoving it back and twisting it. 

The sword fell out of her reach and into the ground several yards away. Ed gasped in pain as he felt as if it had landed in his gut and fell to the ground. Thanatost now stood between Kagome and her weapon, but he was not interested in her any longer.

His attention turned to Ed and he formed a writhing ball of black flame in his hand. He smiled wickedly as it seethed between his palm and fingers.

Kagome growled and lunged forward, knowing she would not make it to her weapon in time. But she had to try something, she knew that.

Thanatost threw to ball of black fire at Ed who was still on the ground. There was no way he could dodge out of the way in time. He was backed up against a tree and his every nerve suddenly froze. He wanted to throw himself to the side, but nothing would respond.

A veil of darkness settled in front of his eyes and he noticed only a moment too late that it was hair. Small drops hit his face as his eyes went wide and Kagome's form fell into his arms. The hole in her chest bled sluggishly.

Ed's eyes darkened and Thanatost noticed that shadows lengthening. Ed knew he did not have the physical strength to hold out against this monster much longer, but there was something he could do.

A bitter and hurtful part of him whispered, _If only you had thought of it before she had to save you._

Ed had hated his powers when his brother had died, he had no wish to ever see them again. But now, things were going to be different. The power that he had hated most, the one that had saved him and had destroyed the one person he had cared about most would be the only way to save all that he cared about now.

It was the Death Walk. The ability to slip through shadows to the gates of Death itself. It was the thing that had saved him from the fate of his brother and would help him to defeat the enemy in front of him now.

The shadows grew around the two men and space distorted around them. A shining black gate appeared behind Thanatost and his eyes widened in terror. This was not a place he wanted to be.

Ed's shadows grabbed his feet and started dragging him towards the gate. He flung bits of black fire at them, but nothing seemed to affect them. Ed noticed this and wrapped shadows around himself, charging the being.

He shoved with his mind and with his hands, wrapping himself in shadows were Thanatost struck out at him. They moved slowly, inching towards the gate at a slow but steady pace. Thanatost struggled against his bonds, but the anger that stirred Ed's awareness was too much.

Emotions, the one thing that Thanatost did not have, were going to kill him. He did not want to die. But he did not want it enough.

The gate opened up behind him, yawning darkness and despair. He struggled harder now, but nothing could diminish the anger that was seeping out of Ed. The shadows of the gate joined the fray and pulled Thanatost in.

He tried to hold Ed back, to pull the man into it with him. But the shadows expanded and the boy slipped back towards the realm of life, leaving Thanatost to the shadowy depths of the next life.

* * *

Ed collapsed onto his knees in the clearing. Kagome was behind him now, lying on the ground were he had left her when he followed Thanatost into Death. He forced himself to crawl over to her and lifted her head gently onto his lap, tears pouring down his face and onto her own. 

"Ed…" her voice whispered, rasping. He pulled her head to his chest.

"Yes… yes Kagome."

"Ed, I need to tell you something…" her voice grew weaker with every word. "Ed… you need to know… you can't save me… not the way you want to. But you can… we can still be together."

"How?" his voice was anxious and hopeful.

"The sword…"

"What?"

"And… your brother… his soul…"

* * *

Ru-Chan: Yes, there will be an epilogue. Now for the... 

Shout Outs:

**sesshromaru828 - **I am so sorry that I have not been updating anything. I'm glad you like my new characters. You are one of many who did not quite understand them. I will explain in the Shout Out for Catbuddy. If you feel you understand them better from this chapter, hurray!

**Watashi No Sukinahito **- I'm glad you love my fic so much!

**Catbuddy **- I'm sorry that I confused you with Destiny and stuff. Essentially, I made Fate, Destiny, and Chaos real people who have their respective jobs. They have underlings that work on projects for them, guiding people down the paths that each of them want. Kyrl and Xiyothēth are just two underlings. Kyrl was put in charge of guarding the sword Kagome got and the last person he chose to guard the sword died rather badly so Kyrl's job was put on the line. I hope the rest you can infer. I might do a fic with Kyrl and Xiyothēth more prominent, or might write their stories at Fiction Press. That's only if anyone is interersted...

**Gizmo369 **- I'm glad you like the chapter so much!

**Moonlight Radiance33 **- I'm glad you like my story. I am so sorry that it took me forever to update. Randomness and subject jumping is okay. I do the same thing all the time.

**Slightly Annyoned Psycho **- I'm glad you enjoy the story. I take no offense to your question, but I cannot tell you. I'm not even sure. It might be oxygen...

**Suuki-Aldrea - **Sorry that it took so long to update...

Chapter 21 Shout Outs:

**sesshromaru828 **- Thanks for sticking through all my fics. I'll be working on I'll Be There next. I just need to finish this fic first...

**Slightly Annoyed Psycho **- Here it is. The next chapter. School can be such a drag sometimes. I think it makes me stupider...

**marissa **- I'm glad you love my fic so much. Have you read I'll Be There? That would be my second fic with Ed and Kagome in it. Its got surprise parings...

**Dark Taiyoukai** - Here is your update. Will do so again hopefully soon.

**PowerfulMind** - I'm glad you ended up liking it. I hope I didn't kill your opinion of it with this last chapter. I try to put things in my stories that all kinds of people can love and read.

**Special thanks to DeathNoteMaker who reviewed chapter 1! I'm glad you like my story so far...**

Ru-Chan: Thank you for sticking with me for so long! Epilogue as soon as my schedule clears up. I hate school...


	22. Path of the Epilogue

Ru-Chan: I have finally gotten the reviews I needed to update for the chapter I last posted in NOVERMBER!!! Sorry, had to rant there. So here's your epilogue after so many months.

* * *

People had been somewhat surprised when Winry had come home with Sesshomaru. They had always thought her infatuated gathered in a different direction.

After they had been traveling together for a while, she had thought it best to go home.

It took some time, but Sesshomaru eventually settled into what most people considered to be a normal life. He was a demon, and that stood out like a sore thumb to all those around him. But that did not matter. Not anymore.

No one who had known him from before would have thought him able to settle down, much less grow a heart. A year had not even passed before he had smiled. Changes came quickly after that.

Winry bloomed under his attention. Her abilities became known everywhere. The business thrived, and as she taught Sesshomaru he was able to help as well.

Life was as close to normal as ever would be possible. True, the demon would outlive the girl by a great number of years. But such things as those could be easily overcome, with the right steps.

The evening sun was pouring light through the windows. Winry walked about the kitchen, getting dinner ready while Sesshomaru handled the needs of a customer at their house. She found herself looking out the window every so often to see if he was coming back yet and mentally scolded herself.

He was still more than capable of taking care of himself. He woke up early every morning to practice his sword technique, along with some other things. He never said why, but Winry had the feeling that old habits tend to die hard.

She was just putting the dishes on the table when the front door opened. Winry set the plate in her hand down and walked over to greet Sesshomaru. As she did she fingered the ring on her left ring finger.

It had been difficult for Sesshomaru to get used to the idea of marriage. He was a demon; things had never really worked the same way in his world. But he had respected Winry's wishes and lived in his own house until the wedding.

That had been a very interesting experience to say the least. But Winry had enjoyed it all the same. She had gone over all sorts of human etiquette and behaviors beforehand, and had enjoyed the looks he made at her as she explained. She briefly remembered the first conversation she had had with him about marriage.

"_You humans have the strangest ideas. A ring around a certain finger has rarely stopped anyone from getting ideas, as anyone could tell you. It's hardly a mark of commitment."_

"_Well, old fashioned people around you take it seriously. And some people won't even talk to those who break the promise."_

"_Fine, I will try this 'marriage'."_

She walked over to him and he gave her a swift kiss, putting his arm around her shoulders and setting a box of tools on a table beside them.

"Dinner's ready," she told him.

"Thank you," was the simple reply.

"How was the run?"

"Loose screw, nothing big. But a head full of loose screws made it hard to get them to take me seriously."

"I have a feeling they were taking you very seriously."

"Then they didn't believe me when I said I wasn't going to eat them." Winry chuckled.

"Come, have something to eat."

"I don't need anything."

"Humor me. You're the only one I can trust to tell me whether my food is really good or not."

"Alright."

* * *

Al flexed his fingers again. He didn't even remember how long it had been since he had gotten his body back. He never really thought about it during the day when he was traveling with Rin. It came to him in those quiet moments when she had finally fallen asleep, her head resting on his lap, and he was all alone to think to himself.

How long had it been that he had known her? It seemed like an eternity. He could still remember her from those several years ago, full of childish life and energy.

She was no longer a child, but the energy did not seem to fade. If anything, it increased. She was happy to be with him, all of the time. She missed her old friends, but lived life the best that she could.

She and Al had never been able to find a way back to his home, but they lived each day the best way that they knew how. It was worth it in her eyes, and that made him happy.

Still, there were times when he wondered, what would he do if anything happened and they were separated. He had managed to live without his brother so far. But if he lost Rin too, he had no idea what he would do.

He loved the time he spent with her. She had seen horrors that he thought only he knew, but was still able to smile in spite of it. She was forgiving and patient, though sometimes she did not seem that way. And she made friends everywhere. No one distrusted her word. She was a blessing to him on this long journey of theirs.

"Al?" The girl had woken and was looking up at him worriedly. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping watch."

"But if you do that every night you won't get any sleep. Then what will I do. I can't carry you during the day while you sleep."

"I guess I'm just not used to being human still."

"But it's been over a year!"

"I know, I'm just not used to it. I never had to sleep before. I hated the long nights, but it feels weird now, like I don't have any time. What would you do?"

"I don't know. But I feel like I have all the time in the world. I think you're just being paranoid. Every day I feel like I have more time. I love the summer. There's so much more daylight it feels as though the world is extending time."

"That made no sense whatsoever." Rin giggled.

"Go to sleep silly. I can't carry you and if you pass out you'll lose perfectly good daylight. You're only losing time by staying up."

"Alright, if you say so." She smiled.

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep."

Al looked up into the night sky as he felt Rin drift to sleep slowly on his lap. He felt so much better after talking to her. He had no idea why, but what she said to him made sense. He wasn't going to let his fears stop him from protecting her. She needed him, that was all that mattered.

He had lived this way for years, keeping a promise he made to himself. He had said he would make sure his brother and he got his body back. Now he promised to protect this girl with his life. It was a silent promise that he had made to Sesshomaru when he had left with Winry.

They would protect from now on what the other had taken care of up to that point in time.

That was the exchange; pure, simple, complete, and lasting. Nothing too much, with only something to gain for both of them. Something that they both needed. Something that they could both understand.

He ran his hand through her hair, gently untangling any snarls that caught in his fingers. She slept soundly, murmuring soft sounds similar to laughter in her waking moments making Al think that she dreamed of their days together.

Or perhaps, further back in her memory, where she traveled with her demon protector. Back to times that were just as happy, but filled with nostalgia.

He sometimes wondered where they were now. Winry, Sesshomaru, Kagome. His brother. He missed them sometimes, when it was dark and they were surrounded by strange creatures and Rin was frightened.

That was when he wished they were all still together. It was at those times he wished for fruitless things to make his dreams come true. But these were things that he could never have.

The future was open wide before him. He would grasp it in his hands and take what he could from it. Nothing would stop him from living as he knew his brother wanted him to.

* * *

There were whispers in the towns. People said things and spread the word around. Even those who only came to the small village on occasion to sell their crops had heard it and watched to see if it was true.

Not long after a darkness had settled in a remote forest it had vanished, seeming to be sucked into a black hole. Only minutes later a great light had filled the portion of the forest and then faded.

A village on the edge of the forest had sent someone in to see what had happened. They came back late in the night, carrying a foreign looking boy with sun gold hair, an intricately designed bow and a heavy sword.

He was unconscious. His face and arms were cold and clammy. He had a gash in his side and a shallow hole in his chest, but by now both had stopped bleeding. His hands were covered in blood, but he would not let go of the sword he carried so that the villagers could treat them.

That was the story. And people believed that part. But no one believed the rest. It was just too improbable.

The next day he had woken, the cut in his side gone, the hole in his chest half the size it had been. A day later he had left, in completely perfect health. He carried the bow on his back without a quiver and held onto the hilt of the sword that was strapped to his side.

One villager said that he had seen the jewel on the hilt to be as the Shikon Jewel with a strange blood red symbol at its peak. But no one believed him.

But they had to believe what they saw.

Demons began to disappear from the countryside. Villages that had once been pillaged were now free. And everywhere it swept, the elimination brought whispers with it.

"It was him."

"The boy."

"The one. The one who saved them."

"The other village."

"The boy with the light."

"The one with the golden eyes. He brings wealth to the villages by slaying their demons."

"It must be a sign."

It was a legend in only a month. A traveler's tale that put a light into the eyes of young children and inspired the poor and helpless to keep trying, despite the ever increasing difficulty of the time.

That was all that it would ever be. Because none of the stories could actually be true. A man could not fight with a sword that held the soul of his true love. He could not come from a land where technology made arms of metal and carts that were not pulled by anything.

* * *

It was a clear evening. The sky turned a gentle pink on the horizon, sharpening to a bright orange just above. A midnight blue touched the top of the sky and a first star shone brightly over a hill.

A lone figure could be seen sitting upon it, cradling a sword and talking to himself. He spoke of the beauty of the sky and how he wished that his sword could see it. How the colors seemed to dance and play at the very edges, mixing to make the most beautiful sunset he had seen in years.

He spoke of the lone star, how it seemed like midnight if he looked directly up, but a slight glance down showed him when it really was.

"I still think that you are more beautiful." He ran his fingertips over the hilt affectionately, a soft smile touching his lips. A soft murmuring could be heard coming from the blade, like the gentlest whisper touching the slightest breeze, carrying the sound of the softest voice. "Oh stop that. I always thought that you were beautiful. You never minded before."

The murmuring hum sounded again. He laughed.

"Alright, you did mind at that point. But what does being a sword have to do with anything, huh? You're still you, aren't you? Or did you go and change on me again?"

The murmuring hum sounded again, this time with a voice akin to laughter. He smiled, brushing his fingertips over the top again.

"You'll never change will you?" a soft hum of 'no' and then he whispered, "I love you Kagome."

_I love you too Ed…_

* * *

Ru-Chan: So there it is. The end. I hope that those who read Nii-Chan and were dipleased with the ending to that liked this one better. I will be working on I'll Be There now that this one is done. Not sure when I will update next, but I have some plans. Anywho, I'm thinking of making a new story. I've posted this list in my profile, but I need ideas. Anime I know are; Fruits Basket, Big O, Witch Hunter Robin, Fullmetal Alchemist, Robotec(... if you don't know don't ask.), Scrapped Princess, Ruroni Kenshin(sp??), Bleach, and some others. Anime I haven't finished are; Naruto, Inuaysha, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragonball, and some others still. If you know one I have not mentioned but think I might know it, just ask me. And I know more manga than this, but I don't feel like typing those too, so just ask and I'll say what I know.

If you have anything you want to say just send me a message or an email. If you would like me to read your fanfics or any stories you have just let me know and I'll try and give you a fair review or comments.

Bob: Finally its over!

Joe: Please reveiw still!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_  
_


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